Yurei Hokokusho
by Jesse Rivera
Summary: What if Yusuke Urameshi had been born a girl? Not to mention was once an assassin? And they want to get her back? And if the vast majority of the guys she knows has a crush on her? YusukeHieiKurama. Slight JinYusuke. Or maybe not so slight...
1. Yurei'ha

She ran, gasping for breath, as tears fell down her cheeks. Reality before her faded and the memory of what happened five minutes earlier replaced it.

She whimpered in pain as the bullet ripped through her legs. She sank partially to her knees. Her attacker advanced, gun cocked and ready to fire again. "Say good bye to life." He smirked and pulled the trigger.

"NO!" She glanced to the side; eyes wide as someone shoved her out of the way, using his body as a shield.

"DOKU!" She screamed as the bullet tore through his heart. It was just to the side, giving him seconds to live. She caught him as he fell. "No..." She whispered, tears falling.

He smiled, his violet eyes quickly glazing over as he spoke. He shakily lifted his arm and brushed away the tears as he whispered, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "I promised you, I... I'd... protect you, Yurei'ha-_sama_." He tensed for a second, then his hand fell as he died.

"Doku..." She closed her eyes. Willing herself to calm down.

Which failed when she heard her assailant's maniacal laughter. "How sweet, the _hitokiri_ sacrificed himself to save his _Shidosha_."

"SHUT UP!" Yurei'ha gently set her fellow assassin's body on the floor and brushed his eyelids closed. She glared at him, her own normally earthen brown eyes had narrowed and turned to the color of blood on a rain-soaked battlefield. Muddy, and mixed with a light brown. The iris, which was normally larger and gave her a feminine look, had narrowed and made her seem cold, fierce and wild, perfect for a _hitokiri_. "You will pay for that, **_yaro_**."

"You cannot do a thing." He laughed. "You cannot stand."

"I CAN!" Another black-cloaked assassin leapt out of the shadows; his Bo staff ready to strike. The thunder of the gunshot echoed through the hall.

"SHINKIRO!" Yurei'ha shouted as he fell back, his back arched gracefully, blood flying from the wound. She dragged herself to his side.

He opened his eyes and grinned weakly. "Sorry Yurei-_chan_. I... Tried..." He coughed, his blood was mixed with his saliva.

"It's alright." She brushed his raven hair from his face. His eyes warmed for a second, for he could not speak, then he closed his eyes and he slowly exhaled his last breath.

"This is getting tiresome. I'll just end it."

She turned and faced him, eyes defiant. "See if you can kill me."

He laughed and loaded his gun. "Fine. See you in hell." Just as he was about to fire, he shouted out as a knife flew out of the shadows and hit his side. He shot towards where the blade came from and was rewarded with a yelp.

"NAIFU!" She felt tears welling up again as the other assassin stumbled from the corner, another knife in hand. He smiled at her and mouthed "take that bastard down for us", tossed it towards her, and fell. She barely caught it. She hid the blade, for he had not seen her grab it, he had been to busy dealing with his wound. He glared at her.

"Very amusing, now DIE!"

"NOT JUST YET, YOU BASTARD!" She knocked away his gun with Shinkiro's staff and hit the nerve in his leg with it, evening the fighting. She grabbed the knife and stabbed him with it, right in the heart. "See _you_ in hell."

He gaped at her, then fell backward, dead. Panting, she somehow managed to get to her feet, but she had to lean heavily on the staff. "Damn it..." She whispered, looking at the bodies of her team. She glanced behind her as Kangae'dokusha entered the room, her last fellow _hitokiri_, that worked with her at least.

"Wha... He..." He stared at the carnage.

"Yes... He did. He killed Doku, Shinkiro and Naifu." Her whole body shook as she sobbed. "He killed them, right in front of me! I could not do anything to stop him!" Kangae glanced at his _Shidosha_, the one he had known nothing to shake her up.

"Shh..." He gently held her, and before she realized what he was going to do, he punched her in the gut, effectively knocking her out. Glancing at his fallen comrades one last time, he lifted her and ran. The mission had been successful, the escape not. He ran and fought tears as well, but he had lost many more comrades than she had. And he was much older, she wasn't even close to being fifteen, much to young to be a _hitokiri_, much less a _Shidosha_. But she was a brilliant fighter and needed money, and the _Kyokai_ needed more assassins. Especially now.

Kangae glanced at Rei; she was going to be broken after this. He ran, considering his options. He would have to mind-wipe her. The_ Kyokai_ would not allow themselves to lose another assassin, especially now that three of their best was dead. And if she stayed, it would just kill her, spiritually. The strain would temporarily weaken him, but at least she would be safe, even if she did not remember them. And after the other _hitokiri_ realized that she would be of no use to them because she remembered nothing, they would leave her alone. Though watch her from the shadows, for if she showed signs of improvement, they would take her in again, though he would make sure that would never happen. He would look after her himself, from a distance. After all, once a _hitokiri_, always a _hitokiri._

When he reached the front of her condo, he quickly staged the area to look as if she was mugged. Then kneeling beside her, he put his hand to her forehead. Concentrating all of his energy, he suppressed the memories. Her mind was strong, and he could not erase them, but it would take a lot for her to remember them. When he finished, he was breathing heavily, his body being torn apart from the inside out. Using the last of his strength, he teleported himself to his comrade's bodies and created a portal to the Demon World and entered it. There he buried the bodies in honorary fashion.

I abruptly sat up, panting, completely soaked. I glanced at my alarm clock, three in the morning. I fell back on the pillows, shivering from the cold sweat. These dreams had started after I came back to life, had increased after my training with Genkai and became nightly after my fight with Suzaku, but for the life of me, I could not remember the dreams. Soon my breathing returned to normal, but I couldn't help but think that I was forgetting something important... Shrugging it off, I got up. Maybe Hiei was somewhere close, maybe he could help, I doubt he would, but it was worth a try. I felt like talking and I doubted Kuwabara, Keiko, Kurama or Ma would appreciate it if I woke them up. Pulling on some sweatpants, I pulled on a cardigan and my tennis shoes. Silently slipping outside I went towards the park. Sitting on a swing, I knew I was going to skip school tomorrow. My attention was drawn for some reason to the tree to my left. "I know you are there, Hiei." I whispered, he would hear me.

"Hn." He appeared and leaned against the support right next to me. "What do you want?"

"Nothing. I can't sleep."

"Nightmares again?" I didn't ask how he knew. For I knew that he had spy networks and funds hidden from Koenma in the more shadowed side of the business world.

"Yeah. Don't remember them, but... I think they really happened. I think they are memories. Maybe of someone I possessed while I was a ghost, for they started when I came back to life."

"Possible." He acknowledged as he sat on the swing beside mine. I felt his intense crimson gaze boring into me, but I ignored him. Even while I was fighting him for Keiko's life, I didn't hate him. If anything, I felt I related to him more than I had originally thought. I don't know why, but I have that suspicion I do. "Follow me."

I glanced at him as he stood up, but I did. Even though he told me not to trust him, repeatedly, he had gotten it at Demon City. He knows he does and when I flat out told him after I came to after my fight, he got this look on his face. It was a mix of shock, and acceptance. I know he'd deny it, but I think he values it.

He walked down the path, slightly in front of Yusuke. She was somewhat lost in thought, but wasn't tripping over anything. He had been surprised when she was so willing to trust him, he didn't ask for it. So he accepted it and cherished it. He would not let her down for she had his respect. And she showed him some, in her own, crude, unusual way. She was his most important ally. He glanced at her. She had even stuck her neck out for him when Koenma had nearly discovered one of his spies. He knew she knew about them, but did not tell Koenma. When he confronted her about this, her reply echoed in his mind.

"I do what I want, Hiei. I fight for my own reasons, and if your activities don't bother me, why the hell should I give a damn about them? I fought you guys because I wanted to, not because Pacifier-baka asked me to. I didn't want those kids to get hurt. I went to Genkai's to train because I knew I would get stronger. I fought Suzaku because he was going to kill everyone I considered a friend! I was not about to let him kill Keiko, Ma, Kuwabara, you or Kurama. If I had died, again, while taking him down, as long as he went with me, I would not have cared. At least that death would not have been pointless."

He had never had anyone call him a friend before, even then, when he told her to watch her back, she laughed him off. She had even suggested that he go and raise the lever at that gate. She was different than the others. She wasn't scared of him, but she was wise enough not to annoy him too much. He had walked automatically to the destination. He heard her gasp in awe. They were in a cave, beautiful formations scattered throughout, there was even a waterfall inside that fell into a decently sized pool. Beside it was a small campfire ring and sleeping bags.

"This is where I stay." Using his Demon Energy, he lit the fire. It looked normal enough, but it emitted demonic energy and would not burn outside the circle, it would, at Hiei's command, but he did not wish it to. And it did not need fuel.

"Nice." She looked around. "I didn't know this place existed."

"You wouldn't. I found this a couple of centuries ago and hid it. Only I know of its location, besides you." He could tell she was a little surprised he showed her this. She nodded and sprawled out on one of the sleeping bags besides the fire. She curled up slightly and was soon asleep. He sat beside her. He was slightly surprised when she moved closer to him, attracted to his body heat. He let her snuggle close. He took off his headband and opened his Jagan. His energy washed over her, keeping the dreams at bay. Putting it back on, he stretched out beside her, secretly enjoying the warmth. He stayed awake the whole night, katana at hand.

I fell asleep as soon as I lay down. I don't know why, but I felt safe there. Maybe because I knew Hiei would keep watch all night, or because I was in a place that only two people knew about. But in any case, I slept straight through the whole night. When I woke up, Hiei was sitting across from me; he glanced in my direction as soon as I was awake.

"There is a bag of donuts on the ledge, feel free to take what you wish." He stood and glanced at me. "And I'll go grab you some clothes from your home." He was off. I had just grabbed a chocolate covered vanilla butter cream when he reappeared with some jeans and a T-shirt. I didn't mind having to wear the same undergarments twice in a row, it wouldn't kill me, though feeling crappy would. Or maybe just Hiei. When I finished, I looked up at he was gone. He had obviously known I would want my privacy. Setting my clean clothes to one side, I stripped down, folded my clothes and set them beside the others. Diving into the clean lukewarm water, I grabbed a handful of gravel from the bottom and scrubbed myself with it. Getting dressed again, I used my cardigan to towel my hair dry. Tying it back loosely with a stray bandana I found lying around, I did my morning stretches. A few minutes later, Hiei returned and sat down, somewhat next to me.

"Thanks." 'For letting me spend the night, the breakfast and grabbing my clothes.' remained unmentioned.

"Hn." Eloquent as always. He paused a moment, as if to consider something, then handed me a videotape.

"New assignment?" I asked, eye twitching. He nodded and smirked at my expression. "Just like him to send me on a new assignment a day after I am healed." I groaned. "And knowing my luck I'll end up nearly getting killed again."

Hiei shrugged and stood once again and walked off. Sighing, I grabbed my clothes and the tape. Going back home, I dropped the stuff off and went to Kuwabara's because our VCR was broken. Perfect. He'll probably be dragged into this assignment somehow as well. Someone else to baby sit. Man, why couldn't Koenma send Hiei or Kurama to go with me on assignments, considering they were sort of Spirit Detectives now...? Damn that baby to hell and back.

Dokusatsu suru (Doku for short, which is literally "poison")-kills with poison

Yurei'ha (Rei is an affectionate nickname used by Kangae)-ghost blade

_sama_: sign of great respect, along the lines of "Lord" or "Lady" Only Doku calls, called Yurei'ha that.

_Hitokiri_-assassin

_Shidosha_-leader

_Yaro_-bastard

Bo staff- wooden staff used in some martial arts

Shinkiro-mirage

_chan_: used for those younger than oneself, or girls, or friends. Only Shinkiro calls Yurei'ha this.

Naifu-knife

Kangae'dokusha (Kangae "mind" or "thoughts" for short)-mind reader

_Kyokai_-guild  
You have until June 16 to suggest another pairing, if not, I'm going with Hiei. Thecharacter that gets the most suggestions (in other words, vote) is the one that is going to be Yusuke's romantic interests.Arigato gozaimashita.(Thank you very much)


	2. Toguro

At Kuwabara's, I popped in the video and grabbed the bowl of popcorn from Botan. Soon the babyish face of Koenma filled the screen. "My dad's off being a big deal again, so I'm back as Director of Underworld Investigations. This recording concerns your new mission. It will appear only as noise to normal humans, so don't worry about eavesdroppers."

"THAT'S your BOSS!" Kuwabara laughed.

"My feelings exactly." I replied with a sigh.

"Your mission this time is simplicity itself: a rescue!"

"Yeah, uh-huh." I muttered, completely unconvinced.

"The rescuee: a non-human girl. That isn't to say she's entirely in-human, but anyway... She's being held in a mansion in the outskirts of a village in the mountains. We have learned from Underworld messengers that she's an Ice Maiden, belonging to the demonic family of winter spirits. They are noted for the beautiful jewels they produce. She's been taken by a heartless human who is forcing her to produce these jewels. Which she does though her tears."

Yusuke bit her lip. They must be pure, rare crystal, worth hundreds of millions on the black market. Yusuke barely paid attention to the rest of the film until Kuwabara abruptly stood up. She ignored him as he left; though filing what he had said to look in her memory later. As the film continued, she paid more attention.

"Yusuke, one more thing, and this is important as it involves a personal DEBT to you. This girl's name is Yukina and she is Hiei's SISTER." Yusuke dropped the popcorn bowl and froze the image of the girl. She glanced at her eyes. The same blood-red crimson... Yeah, she was his sister all right. Getting up, she stretched.

"I'll be goin' now, make sure that lover-boy doesn't get himself killed. Later.' She walked out the door, snickering.

I watched Kuwabara slice up the demons. "I'LL SAVE YOU SNOW GIRL!" Geez.. She really got to him. I snickered. Wonder what his reaction would be when he finds out she is Hiei's sister?

I glanced up at the sound of gunfire and easily dodged it. Coming up behind the goons, I knocked them out with a well-placed karate chop. I smirked. "Quantity can't replace quality, dudes."

"Yeah, It's obvious when and where you are going to shoot." They shook then glanced behind them as a demon stepped forward.

"Hello. I'm Miyuki, Ogre Triad Vertex One." She jumped at us and we dodged.

"She's a girl! I CAN'T fight a GIRL!"

"Than what am I? Fish crap?" I glared at him. "That's gratitude for saving your ass at Genkai's."

He chuckled stupidly.

Rolling my eyes, I faced the "female" demon. Something just wasn't right... "That's sweet... But a MISTAKE. Chivalry on YOUR part does not mean mercy on MY part."

I stepped forward. "Chivalry? Never heard of it. I don't care if your man or woman, young or old, if you want a fight, I'll GIVE you one." We leapt at each other; I quickly did a light tap to "her" chest. I smirked.

"You IMPERTINENT whelp!"

"Yeah, yeah. Rude, I know, but that should give you an idea of what you're up AGAINST."

He snarled. "SILENCE!"

I rolled my eyes. When would they ever learn...? I punched him right in the face, pure evil, fresh today. He landed with a thud.

"You really DON'T care do you?"

"Why should I? I'm a girl. Why do you fight me?" I leaned forward, staring him down.

He got a sweat drop. "Uh... When I first fought you, I thought you were a guy..."

"And all the times after that?"

"I can't live with the fact I was beaten by a girl!"

"Get used to it." I turned to Miyuki.

"Bitch! You just beat me because I'm different!"

"Bullshit. You aren't a cross dresser. You can't make up your mind. Do that before you get into another fight."

He gasped, then slumped to the floor. "You're so right..."

I grinned up at the camera, giving a peace sign. "Two more and we're in your face!"

As Kuwabara and I walked along, I suddenly tensed up. Something was coming. "Look out!" I leapt to the side as another demon leapt out of nowhere. Ignoring his introduction, I led Kuwabara into an adjacent hallway and filled the doorway with a Shotgun. Rolling my eyes at the pathetic demon, I left Kuwabara to insult the camera.

Walking down another corridor, Kuwabara and I grinned, then rushed the final demon, instantly knocking him out. I glanced up at the camera, and flicked it off, my face serious. Kuwabara glanced at me and shivered. I smirked and started to walk down a flight of stairs. Going down to the basement, I glanced at a glass enclosure. Some _thing_ was completely torn in two.

"What the hell...?"

Kuwabara grabbed my arm and pulled me along before I could examine it closer. We barely reached a door before it closed. It slammed behind us, the sound echoing ominously. I quickly glanced around, huge guy with a small guy on his shoulder in the center of this arena, a wall of screens showing a bunch of bastards, probably going to watch us fight these two guys, and a large window. I glanced at it; Tarukane and I clenched my fists at the sight of Yukina being held by those two men. Bloody bastards.

"Welcome." The bigger guy stated. I raised a skeptic eyebrow. This guy had no demonic aura, yet something about him screamed that he was dangerous. I suppressed a shudder. My eyes widened as I saw the smaller guy scrunch up and transform into... A sword! Shit fuck and damn.

"Amazing transformation by my older brother, don't you think? Its effectiveness depends on the wielder, of course. As for me..." My eyes widened even more as his shirt exploded from his body as his muscles suddenly expanded tremendously. "I provide the muscle, lots of it. Y'see, we're one unit!"

I flinched as his aura hit us, just like a hurricane. He suddenly lunged at us; we barely managed to dodge. Shit he was fast! As he swung down with his sword, Kuwabara just managed to block it.

"LOOK OUT!" I shouted as he punched him in the gut. Kuwabara flew back; he had jumped back to avoid a fatal impact. My eyes widened, again. That's what had happened to that... Whatever it was that had been in that cage. Blood flew from his mouth. Rage coursing through my veins, I suddenly felt... faster. Stronger. I leapt forward, to the guy's side. Jumping level with his head, I knew that if I didn't get it now, he would kill us both. If that smaller guy could transform into a sword, who knows what else he could turn into. "SPIRIT GUN!" I fired, point blank. He fell to the floor with a thud.

Landing, I made my way towards the window, when Yukina rushed down, she looked at me, worried. "It's okay. I'm fine." I glanced at Kuwabara. "He could use some attention though." I continued up and raised an eyebrow when I saw Hiei. I saw the talismans lying on the floor. So they had hid her from his Jagan. He had been looking for her for all those years, after all. I glanced down at the arena floor. "This is far from over..." I remarked quietly, for some reason, I knew that was true.

Toguro slowly walked from the mansion, his brother on his shoulder, lost in thought. The girl, Urameshi, had gotten stronger, by maybe ten percent, just before she lunged at him. She would get much stronger. Perhaps enough to be a challenge in the tournament. He inwardly chuckled, so much like Genkai... They even looked similar, almost as if Yusuke was really their child. They shared the raven hair; she had eyes just darker than Genkai's... She would win the Tournament, and he would leave everything to her. It was the least he could do for what he was going to put her through. Pushing his glasses farther back, his brother jumped off and he went off to get his motorcycle. Yurei'ha had been a formidable assassin and fighter, but her skills had faded when she had been turned into Yusuke Urameshi. Though for a second, when she was just about to fire her Spirit Gun, he could've sworn he was looking in the eyes of a _Shidosha _of the_ hitokiri_.

I walked down the street, when I suddenly shivered, and it had nothing to do with the cold. I slowly, apprehensively glanced behind me. The guy removed his helmet, revealing the familiar glasses. Toguro. He must've blocked or he was just so strong the Spirit Gun merely knocked him out. Damn, should've taken his pulse.

"Come with me." I looked up at him, startled out of my thoughts. "We need to talk." He tossed me a spare helmet. I caught it. "Hop on." I hesitantly did so. If I refused, I didn't want to thing what would happen. When we reached the construction site, I leaned against a pillar, to hide my shaking. I was outwardly relaxed, inwardly ready to bolt.

"Our first encounter... Was NOT on the up-and-up. Thankfully, that is over and done with. Now, I'd like to discuss something _personal_... A secret between to fighters, you might say."

"Get to the point." I kept my voice calm.

He smirked. He must've seen my trembling. "Heh... You _scared_ of me?"

"Heh..." I got a sweat drop. "Yeah, I'm **_scared_**. Got a problem with that?" I glared at him.

He chuckled. "Honesty is a virtue. And your instincts are sharp. You know how to recognize danger, you are strong... And will get stronger. That's why I thought I'd show you... THE REAL ME!"

I had to take a step backwards as he powered up; his aura hit me even harder than in the previous fight.

"It's all about muscle mass. In our first fight, I was probably at twenty percent." I gulped, a nervous sweat slicking my skin as the aura faded and revealed an extremely muscular Toguro. "Now I'm up to about sixty percent. I could LEVEL this building in THREE MINUTES! Wanna see?"

I stared, unable to move. He suddenly vanished and before I could whip around, he was behind me and speaking. "In two months, a TOURNAMENT will be held."

"The Dark Tournament..." I whispered, somehow, for it felt like my tongue was sandpaper in my mouth.

I'm pretty sure he nodded. "Humans do it for the money and thrills... We _demons_ do it for blood and pleasure. I extend you and Kuwabara an invitation to compete. Refuse, and I will kill you right now. Get in shape. Your lives depend on it... As you will be fighting to the death." He walked off, his footsteps fading. I fell to my knees, trembling, I could not move.

"Not good... NOT GOOD..." I whispered, shaking violently. He... Was strong... Stronger than I could hope to be... After my shaking subsided, I somehow managed to get to my feet. Only one person could help me get strong enough to compete...

I quickly entered the training dojo and went straight towards her quarters. Entering the door, I waited for her to acknowledge my presence.

"Well, well... What do I owe this pleasure?" She took a sip of her tea.

"I need to be _stronger_. **_Much stronger._** I've got **_two months_**."

She turned around to face me her most serious look on her face. "It ain't going to be easy."

Yurei Hokokusho: Ghost report

_Hitokiri_: assassin

_Shidosha_: leader of the _hitokiri_


	3. Love Triangle?

Note: Sorry about the lapse into second person in the beginning of the chapter.

And two months later...

I quickened my pace slightly when I heard, "Hold it! One 'guest' isn't **_here_** yet!" Obviously Kuwabara, judging from the pathetic sounding voice.

"Yeah? Rules say yer late, yer a **refuser**. We'll send assassins to deal with 'im."

I smirked. "No need for that." I stepped into the clearing." And grinned cheerily. "Sorry to hold up the party. After all, a party isn't any fun without me to trash it."

"Where have you been, Urameshi!" I glanced at the demons, who began to mutter among themselves at the mention of my name.

"Nice going, baka." I muttered to Kuwabara. "Now they know I'm here." Crap. I walked towards Hiei and Kurama, my muscles stiff and sore from Genkai's training. As I passed Hiei...

"Yusuke." I glanced at him and leapt back, dodging his swings and thrusts and general attacks. I blocked everything out, absorbed in the thrill of nearly getting cut in two. When I saw his guard down for a split second between a swing, I grabbed the blade, knocked it out of his hands, caught it, got behind him and held it to his throat before he knew what happened. "_Damn_, Hiei. Is this the way you greet people now?" I asked, as I let him go and tossed the blade back to him.

He smirked. "I don't know how you did it, but your skills are _adequate_."

"Wow, a compliment from _the_ Hiei Jaganshi? I think hell just _froze over_!" I laughed.

Kurama smiled slightly, and held back a snicker as he heard Kuwabara, "Adequate? I couldn't move like that in a _million years!_"

"Don't worry about it. You did follow their moves, which shows you've progressed." I rolled my eyes. Would it be enough to keep him from getting killed during the tournament?

"So I suppose the little one over there is our fifth?" Hiei asked me, glancing at Genkai.

Kuwabara laughed. "Someone _shorter_ than _Hiei_! I can barely see him! If I sneezed I'd blow him _clear to Mars!_"

I snorted. "I wouldn't recommend making that comment unless you want to live, particularly the one about Hiei. At any rate, for a fifth, we could do MUCH worse."

"That so...? I dunno..."

My eyes met Hiei's. He had a bloodthirsty look about him; his aura already was filled with hints of lusting for battle. "It fills the count. And Yusuke and I are the only ones we really need at any rate." Two compliments in a space of ten minutes. Is he all right? He glanced at me, and I grinned as we boarded the ship. Leaning against the railing, I was soon asleep, I needed to replenish strength and aura.

Hiei glanced at Yusuke then at the Masked Fighter as he walked towards the ring. "He's going. At least we can see what he can do." He remarked to answer Kuwabara's question of who was going to fight.

"What if he _loses_! I don't think that the losing teams _just_ go _home_!"

"True. Then we simply kill everyone aboard and when we land we say we are the right team and no one will complain."

Kuwabara twitched as sweat drops ran down his face. "You did not have many friends as a child, did you?"

Hiei laughed, a cold, sarcastic, sadistic and bitter sound. Kuwabara shivered.

Not even a minute later, after they had won the preliminaries, Hiei smirked as he attacked the demons rushing him. They were all sliced to pieces and it didn't even look like he had moved. Kurama easily diced his opponents with his whip and Kuwabara used his Spirit Sword. Hiei and Kurama turned around, just in time to see a demon running towards the unconscious Yusuke, his claws extended for the kill.

"**_YUSUKE!_**"

Hiei raised an eyebrow as she punched the demon away, still asleep. "RAAH! No way you old hag! I'll keep going and going!" And even more so when she started a whole training regime.

"She has done it so much that it has apparently become instinctive, especially since she is reliving her training." Kurama smiled.

Kuwabara glanced around. "Uh... What happened to the fight we were in?"

"Everyone's dead." Hiei smirked as he easily lifted Yusuke, who had fallen back to a sitting position once more.

After they had been led to their hotel room, Hiei set Yusuke on one of the couches and glanced up as a waiter came in with a cart with five cups of coffee.

"Your evening coffee, compliments of the hotel." He bowed set the cups on the table and left with the cart.

Kuwabara stared at it suspiciously. "Do you think it is poisoned?"

"Not likely, this tournament is about combat."

"And the hosts are especially interested to see us mutilated tomorrow." Hiei added as he took a sip.

Kuwabara shrugged. "Never hurts to be _careful_. I'll stick to my own beverages thanks."

Hiei rolled his eyes and glanced at the table, then to the dresser, watching the child. But did not mention what he saw. Kurama did.

"That's odd... Yusuke's cup is gone... But she's still asleep..." He turned around to the sound of slurping. They all whipped around to see a demon that looked like a child but was probably over a hundred years old, judging from his skill in hiding his strength.

"He must've been hiding someplace!" Kuwabara shouted.

"Then came out and took the cup without us noticing..." Kurama murmured.

"Nah! I came through the door, that's what good kids do, right?" I glanced up, almost guiltily, but more like he was amused. "I guess I forgot to knock though." He grinned and looked at them. "Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Rinku, my crew, the Jolly Devil Six, a.k.a. Team Rokuyukai, will be your opponents in the opening match tomorrow."

"Six? Isn't there only five to a team?" Kuwabara asked.

"You didn't know you could bring a replacement if one of you dies in battle? The six of us are tough as nails so we chose our alternate by a game of rock-paper-scissors." He put his pointer fingers on the handle of the cup and balanced on it. "Must be NICE being a guest team. You don't have to sit through opening ceremonies or rule meetings. 'Course you don't need to worry about negotiating for prizes 'cuz you'll be taken out way early..."

Kuwabara glared at the kid. Who did he think he was? Funny? He'd show him funny if he kept it up.

"It's just a fact. The captain of the years previous winning team nominated you guys as guests so I thought I'd get a good fight, but from what I see, I could take y'all in an elimination match."

Hiei glanced behind him as another demon entered. "That will _do_, Rinku."

They turned around to see him leaning against the wall, his arms crossed.

"ANOTHER LURKER! He wasn't there before, I'm SURE of it!" Kuwabara shouted hysterically.

"Sorry Zeru!" Rinku grinned in a singsong voice. "I was just saying how-dee-do to our enemies."

"Enjoy your last evening alive. By this time tomorrow, you will strongly resemble that cup." As they shut the door behind them, Kuwabara's cup burst into two.

After Zeru and Rinku left, Hiei briefly glanced at the cup. One side was jagged, sloppily cut with heat energy. Interesting... He glanced at Yusuke. Even more so was the fact that she had managed to get his blade from him. And that she had gotten behind him. He contemplated this. She had increased her strength by at least three times over the course of the months... He glanced at her. And the way she fought him before the preliminaries was different from when they fought at that warehouse. Her movements were graceful, precise and flowing. Perfect for fighting, defensively or offensively... He got up and lifted and carried her to the bedroom she had to herself. As he walked to her room, carrying her, he saw Kurama frown. He was obviously thinking about something. And Hiei knew what. Pushing the thought from his mind to deal with it later, he entered her room. Gently setting her on the bed, he paused at the door, watching her sleep for a moment, then walked out, closing the door silently behind him.

Kurama watched Hiei leave and raised an eyebrow. He had suspected the fire/ice demon harbored feelings for their leader, but until now they had only been suspicions. He never a.) complimented people twice in a week and b.) carried anyone to their room. And he had been genuinely worried when that demon was about to kill her on the boat. Not to mention he could not keep his eyes off her. He sighed. Having Hiei as a love rival would not be easy, for the demon was ruthless in the pursuit of getting what he wanted. And to make matters even worse, he was almost positive that Koenma was interested in his reiki tantei. He rubbed his eyes, tiredly. At any rate, it would be entertaining to see how this would turn out.

Baka: idiot

Elimination match: if one person beats another, he keeps going to fight to fight until he loses, then they switch to their second member, etc.

Reiki tantei: Spirit detective, I am not sure I spelled it correctly, but you probably know what I mean.


	4. Chu

I knew what was going on... Somewhat. I could tell Kuwabara was getting his ass kicked, and later that the guy Kurama was fighting, Roto, was bad news for his mom. And that Zeru had almost incinerated Hiei and that he had to use the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, which will probably maim his right arm for the rest of his life. But I couldn't get myself to wake up, so I did the only thing I could: give advice while sleep talking. Of course, no one really took it seriously, though... Oh well. Then some guy killed his teammates and came to the ring. Interesting.

I wrinkled my nose at the smell of alcohol, somehow feeling a sense of familiarity. Slowly, I started to wake up. Stretching slightly, I saw no one noticed I was awake, so when Kuwabara began shouting "Unless, of course, I can get Urameshi to wake up!" I flipped into the ring, stretching. "That's funny, where'd she go?"

"Waking up to the smell of alcohol... Can't feel a touch of home." I made a big show of picking my ear. I then glanced at the murmuring crowd. "Hey, all you stupid demons! I've been trying to sleep through your clever trash talk long enough! And I'm ready to kick some asses!" Grinning at the effect that had, I walked towards Chu, cocking my head in a confident smirk. He said something and spat. I glanced up at the stands again when I heard them begin some chant.

"Kill Yusuke! Kill Yusuke! Kill Yusuke!" I rolled my eyes. Talk about original. I sighed, well, I didn't expect much else, considering I was something of a boogey-man to the apparitions, to quote Hiei for when I heard him talking to Kuwabara on this. Ignoring them, I turned back to the drunken Australian.

"Stay there, for a bit, I forgot something." My eyes widened as he vanished and reappeared with Koto's microphone in hand. "Sorry Sheila, gotta borrow." He coughed. "Right, before we get this thing going, I want to get the record straight. First off, I am a really ace person and the only thing I suck at is." Drum roll. "Paper rock scissors!" I blinked.

Koto grabbed the microphone back. "Uh... Let me try to translate for the drunkard here. This morning, Team Rokuyukai decided on its roster by a game of paper-rock-scissors. Chu lost pathetically and became the alternate. But he wants you to forget about all that, because he is number one!"

"YEAH!" Chu laughed, getting really pumped up.

"No need to thank me, that is why I am here." Koto grinned as she bowed. Perceptive.

I glanced towards Rinku, (yes, I heard the name) who was acting nervous (Chu's going to act really dopey again, I can feel it) and glanced back at him. "I'm strong, see! Can you even get what I'm yabberin' at ya!"

I smirked. Might as well as play with this guy. "Yeah I get it, it's not that hard you know." I threw off my jacket and began to do some basic stretches. "You were scared to fight me before, and now you're just blaming it on a stupid game."

"What! Didn't you hear the Sheila? I'm-"

"Get off the stage! The replacement is a pathetic drunk!"

Chu got an anime vein. "WHO SAID THAT!" And ran off to the stands, to where he heard the voice. I couldn't see/hear what was happening, but I guessed he was choking whatever demon had said that. And on the way back, he grabbed a beer. "This is just perfect, you probably think I'm useless to. Let me tell you something, mate! I-I am like a master of drunken fighting!" He finished it off and tossed it to the ground and continued talking while climbing back into the ring. "Suiken Technique is the official name, I think. You get distracted by my irregular moves."

"Yeah, whatever, drunkie, it's not like I haven't heard of it before." My eyes met his. "And you better be able to do something interesting, I did not come all this way to baby-sit a drunk."

"Did ya now? You won't be saying that once I hit my groove." He started to move, leaving after images. "Of course, I have to stumble into it first." He laughed sinisterly as he moved around, and after he stopped and his afterimages caught up, he remarked, "We're going to enjoy this."

"BEGIN!" Koto shouted.

Chu smiled slightly at me. "Now, let's see what you think of my stumbling little feet." He was off, moving as if he was a ghost or something, his movements flowing, and his speed only added to the problem. Kuso. I glanced around; I had to find this guy. Wait a minute... There. I barely managed to block his attack, and dodge his next one, squeezing in a counterattack. He stumbled back a step, and that was all I needed.

"RAAAH!" I lunged, and attacked, I landed, and he fell back. I glanced at him, and saw him vanish, and reappear beside me, barely giving me enough time to block with my shoulder. The kick sent me flying into the wall, burying me in rubble. Crap. I struggled to kick it off, ignoring Koto and Chu's comments, until I heard him shout.

"Come now, kid. I haven't done nothing bonzer yet! I haven't even done any challenging techniques!"

"Nine!" That's it. I landed in the ring, just before she said ten. I rotated my shoulder, after relocating it.

"Whew! Could've been killed if I didn't guard myself!" I remarked cheerfully, with an insane look on my face. "So... One dumb mistake, and I'm pushin' daisies, right?" I asked, getting a feral look on my face.

"Yeah, pretty much kid." Chu smirked slightly, crossing his arms.

"You know, this whole life or death thing, I'm starting to like it." I slowly licked my lips. He chuckled. "Let me guess, you two."

"There is no point in playin' if it ain't for keeps." The look of utter wildness matched my own.

"That's good, drunkie, we've finally found something in common." I rotated my arm one last time.

"You can begin at any time!" Koto announced.

I grinned, and charged up my spirit gun. Chu got a surprised look on his face. I grinned, aimed, and blasted. It barely missed him, crashing into the stadium behind him. "My Spirit Gun." I clarified as I blew the smoke from my finger and grinned.

"Like Chu, Yusuke has introduced her attack before using it on her opponent, but this is not "The Happy Game"! Where are cheats, the blackmail threats, the back stabs!"

Chu laughed. "Everyone's shoutin' at ya now, but you wanted a fair fight!" Then he suddenly got a green tinge and a sweat drop. "I think that terp I just drank wants to come back up and say hello." I blinked. He wiped his mouth with his arm. "Right, it's about time."

"I don't believe it! He's going to do the move! And so soon!" I glanced at Rinku, who had a look of surprise and fear on his face. This could be messy...

I glanced back up at Chu, who had shifted to s kind of sitting stance with a hand behind his back. A few seconds later, be brought out a canteen, about half empty from the sound of it. "This is the strongest stuff every made, it's called Ogre Killer." He began to uncork the bottle.

"Oh yeah, people." Koto announced, providing some background information apparently. "Take one sip of that and you'll wake up in jail the next morning, in the arms of a hairy demon you really don't want to know!" He spat out the cork and began to drink it down. "And he's definitely taking more than a sip!" He finished drinking it and dropped the canteen.

I watched apprehensively as he began to shake, as aura began to radiate off him, eclipsing the stadium. His skin darkened a few shades. He shifted back to that sitting stance and lifted one hand over the other, cupping them. He concentrated his energy into it. I squinted as I looked at it. There was actually alcohol mixed with his energy, apparently his finishing move. Much like my Spirit Gun, and approximately the same in force. It formed a sphere, which he took in his hand. "Ready for a real test of our capabilities?" He asked.

I grinned. "I was waiting for the invite!" We both took off running. We both stopped; he threw it like a baseball pitcher. I concentrated my energy. "SPIRIT GUN!" The two energies collided; I tensed and prepared to charge. It was going to be a draw. And I was right. We simultaneously charged, fists flying, not even bothering to block any of the head shots. He got a good punch in to my stomach, and I was sent flying backwards, off balance. He started creating a huge ball of energy and sent it cantering my way. I couldn't defend, or run. Damn. I could only...

As Chu threw it, he felt a twinge of regret. He actually had begun to like the cocky teen. Of course, the fact that she was hot helped matters, but it was a good fight, and anyone who gave him one deserved his respect, for she was the first to block it. Ever. Plus there was something about her... That was just... Attracting. He was pulled out of his thoughts by Yusuke's shout. "DOUBLE!"

I shifted to my standard firing position. "SPIRIT GUN... DOUBLE!"

"DOUBLE!" Chu shouted. The energy burst through his blast, hitting us both at the same time, or should've. We had both leapt into the air, and landed. Both breathing heavily and sweating.

"Well, they've shortened their breath and somehow lost their shirts, with the exception of Yusuke's bra. All in all, I'd call it a successful fight." Koto remarked.

"With that two for one shot, you used up all your ammo for your Spirit Gun. You're as weak as any other human." Chu grinned and saw the look on my face. His grin widened. "I'm right."

"Maybe, but so are you." I snickered.

"That's probably true, drongo..." He laughed shakily and put his hands just above his knees. "I'm so tired I can't even raise my arms." I laughed slightly at this. Soon both of us were laughing, just because we knew how this was going to go. Neither of us would give up, we'd go until one of us collapsed.

Suddenly Chu looked straight into my eyes. "What do you saw we end this like a couple of Malee bulls?"

I smirked. "I've got the balls."

He smirked and pulled two knives out of his leggings, then deftly caught them. "What do you say we end this with a Knife-Edge Deathmatch?"

Kuso: shit

Votes:

Hiei: 2

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 1

P.S. I am also willing to consider minor characters. If anyone cares for one in particular.


	5. KnifeEdge Deathmatch

"Knife-Edge... Deathmatch?" I asked, staring at the two knives. He nodded and walked past me, I turned around to see him stick each knife in the ground. Huh... What's he up to...?

"Take off your shoes, and step in front of the knife." He instructed as he did as he said. I nodded and did so. A second after I took my position, a wind blew, blowing my loosely tied back hair in front of my shoulder. "The edge of your knife, is the edge of your world. That is only one rule in a Knife-Edge Deathmatch: you do not step out side that line. Because if you do, it becomes sudden death. And I mean death. We use our bodies; no weapons. Think you can handle that?" He asked, a slight smirk on his face.

"No sweat." I returned it.

"Uh, excuse me, but it's not up to you to make the rules." Koto nervously corrected. "We have a committee that is paid to do that."

The crowd's protest was instantaneous. I did not react as the committee made their decision and even so after the storm clouds began to billow over the stadium. Lighting flashed and was followed almost immediately by thunder. Chu's blood thirsting stunning blue eyes bored into mine. Wilder than an animal fighting for its life. We waited in silence, in excited anticipation for the fight to begin. We were both tense, ready to fight. I barely heard the crowd when they protested the committee's decision, as well as the roar when they repealed it. I was only aware of anything besides the feeling of the wind whipping my hair around me when Koto shouted "Get ready for supreme brutality!" and the lights flashing on, fixed on us.

We began fighting immediately. Trading blows, I laughed as I received a blow to the face, and returned it with a barrage of lightning-fast punches. There was nothing else, just the two of us. Nothing else mattered.

Rinku stared in awe. If only everyone else on that team had fought this hard. He might've been able to give his yo-yos a real workout.

Chu grinned as they fought. She was really something else. As his fists made contact with her body, he could feel the softness of her skin, the leanness of her physique. She was in love with the thrill of battle. That was clear from the look of pure bliss on her face. She took all the hits without flinching. He couldn't help but notice small things, like how her hair was loose from the band holding it back and was plastered against her skin with sweat. How her face was slick with perspiration and ever so slightly flushed from the rush of adrenaline. Though he would like to think other wise. And he would've liked it if that sports bra had been ripped to shreds in the explosion, though just the shirt was nice. He flinched as she blocked one of his attacks and hit him straight in the gut. Helluva of a fight. And this would be rotten on his hangover. He thought as he executed his attack.

We had been fighting for who knows how long. I was weakening, on my last legs. And I was pretty sure he was to. It would all be over. And soon. I clenched my teeth as he knocked me slightly off balance and I had to dig my already bleeding foot into the knife to regain it. I shouted out as I crashed my forehead into his in a head butt. We glared into each others eyes for a moment, before Chu's narrowed and rolled back into his head. "Nnnn... Huh... Eh... Uh... Nuh..." He fell to the side and collapsed right into the cement. I could see the cracks his skull had made.

As Koto began the count, I couldn't help but remark, "It looks like you're better suited for tapping kegs than tapping heads, mate."

Koto completed the count, grabbed my wrist and raised. "The match goes to Team Urameshi, led by Yusuke Urameshi!" After she let my wrist go, I saw Kuwabara and inwardly groaned. I watched Rinku go over to Chu and saw the look of worry on his face. I hope he's all right. My attention was drawn back to Kuwabaka.

"THAT WAS AWESOME, Urameshi! Hey, man, are you okay." I shrugged and gave him a thumbs up. I got a sweat drop as I saw him pretending to be me while fighting. I really needed to show him how to fight.

"Urameshi." I glanced down at Chu, who had sobered up and looked almost... Subdued.

He stared at the floor. "We agreed to fight a death match, mate." He looked up and met her gaze, with her unreadable gaze and emotionless eyes. "Finish me off." She looked at him for a moment, then her face softened, her eyes warm.

"Nah, we'll fight again when you're better." She grinned.

Chu looked surprise for a moment, then grinned back. "You're ripper. It's been a dead set honor, Urameshi."

She gave him a genuine smile. "Like wise, and it's Yusuke to you, pal." He kneeled on one knee as he watched her walk back towards her team, unaided, and without a limp, even though the knife blade had probably gone all the way to the bone.

"Kill that drunken loser Urameshi!"

"Yeah! We want to see blood!"

Chu watched on expressionlessly, as Rinku shouted out fearlessly, "You want a piece of us! Come down here and take it!"

I tensed, trembling. Those bastards, thinking I would even do that... "SHUT UP!" I nearly screamed. "YOU IDIOTS GOT SOMETHING TO SAY! SAY IT! BUT SAY IT TO MY FACE! OR SAY IT TO MY FIST!" I held my fist threateningly, glaring at the fans with my best death glare. Which had gotten even more intimidating since I trained at Genkai's. The were instantly quieted.

"Yusuke Urameshi..." Rinku whispered, completely stunned by the fact that she defended them.

Chu merely smiled, his head cocked slightly. 'Good oil. Yusuke's blood is worth bottling.'

I glanced up and tensed when I saw Toguro, but I shrugged off my fear, grinned and flipped him off. He just nodded. What is with this guy...? Whatever. I turned and walked down the tunnel towards the locker rooms. I needed to find a spare shirt.

"Here." I glanced at Kurama who had removed his Chinese-like shirt.

I nodded and put it on. "Thanks." Buttoning it a little over three fourths of the way up, I went back to the hotel room, took a shower, returned Kurama's shirt, and fell into bed. Where I had another dream.

"Yurei-chan!" I turned around to see a boy that appeared slightly older than me now. He had warm amber eyes, golden skin, and raven hair that was tied back in a style similar to mine that went half way down his back. It was wrapped for a few inches with a ribbon, where it was in a loose knot and the rest of it hung loose with his hair, one end a good four inches shorter than the other. But I knew the hair color was not original, he dyed it.

I grinned. "Shinkiro." He returned it.

He wore the usual _hitokiri_ garments. The cloth they were made of was a loose black mesh that was apparently insulated. The loose pants had a skin-tight long sleeved shirt hang over it, held in place by a utility belt of some kind of black alloy. In it hung various weapons, many that I could not identify, but I knew for some reason that I could use them. Other than that, his pants were tucked into his boots, which seemed to be made of a harder version of the same material. His hands were gloved, and he had a black cloak over his shoulder, and a ninja-like mask in hand.

"Did you hear?" He asked, eyes closed in a grin.

"Hear what?" I asked, curious.

"You are now a _Shidosha_."

"What...?"

"It's true. You were only one of three nominees, and were the best candidate out there."

"But I'm not even eleven."

"So? You have skill, experience, and are respected and that's all you need. Hell, even Kangae-dono nominated you."

I slid to the floor, in shock. My rival had nominated me? And I had gotten the position...?

"Wild, huh? So, you going to do it?" Shinkiro asked, holding out his hand. I took it. He pulled me to my feet and saw the look of acceptance on my face. He smiled, then his face was solemn. He knelt, grabbing his Choosing knife and holding the hilt out to me, sharp blade in his hands. "Yurei'ha_ Shidosha,_ I humbly ask to join your _Shuha_."

I was stunned. Every _hitokiri_ had one of those knives, and they only gave them to the one they wanted to call their _Shidosha_. And once they had given them, they could not be taken back, except when their leader died. Which has never happened. _Hitokiri_ protect their _Shidosha_ with their life. It is unacceptable to do otherwise. That is what they are brought up with. Every _hitokiri_ follows his leader, no matter what. They trust them to get them everything they need. _Hitokiri_ stay, until the bitter end and beyond. For once the _Shidosha_ takes the knife, they are bound together in spirit, if the _hitokiri_ dies, but the _Shidosha_ lives, the spirits of the fallen will reside in the knives and can be called upon by the _Shidosha_, protecting him or her even in death.

I gently, so not to cut him, took the blade from his hands. "Welcome, Shinkiro, Master of Illusion." I slid the knife into my belt. He grinned.

"Good. I was the first to ask and be accepted. See ya, 'round, Yurei-chan." He gave a small wave, winked and walked off.

I returned the wave and laughed. "Come again when you can talk longer oni-chan!"

He laughed as well. "Don't worry, I will!" He adjusted the Bo staff case on his shoulder. "Won't Doku be worried? You should go see him, I saw him a few minutes ago, and he mentioned training."

"CRAP! SEE YOU LATER IF I AM NOT DEAD!" I shouted after me as I ran down the dimly lit hallway.

His laughter echoed off the walls behind me.

Baka: idiot

_Hitokiri_: assassin

_Shidosha_: leader of hitokiri

_Shuha_: sect

oni-chan: big brother

Votes:

Hiei: 2

Kurama:1

Hiei and Kurama: 2


	6. Day Off

When I woke up, I felt a lot more refreshed, though I could not remember the dream I had, I knew it was a good one. Going to the bathroom, I turned on the cold water and let it pound me. After cleaning up, stood there for a moment, waking up. Turning off the water, I grabbed a towel, and wrapped it around me. Going into my room, I went to my bag to find some clothes. I heard a knock on the door. "Hold on a minute." I called back out, dumping the contents of my bag onto my bed. Selecting a clean set of undergarments, jeans, and a T-shirt, I dropped the towel and had finished pulling on my underwear and adjusted my bra when the door opened.

Hiei opened his mouth to say something, closed it, turned around, and went right back out. I slammed the door behind him. "LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PRIVACY WILL YA!" I shouted after him. I really didn't mind that much, considering I wasn't completely naked, but he needed to give a girl her privacy! Typical boy, though. Oh well. After I finished dressing, I tied my hair back in a ribbon and left the hotel room to train.

I walked along in the forest. It was nice and peaceful. But I couldn't shake the feeling I was being watched. Though the feeling I got wasn't that they wanted to hurt me, that they were merely curious. "I know you are there. Show yourself." I called out. The presence vanished. Hm. Whatever.

As I continued to walk along, I ran into a familiar face as I came to a clearing. "Hey! CHU! RINKU!" The two turned around.

"Yusuke!" Rinku hopped down from Chu's shoulder, who looked at me and grinned.

"How's it goin'?" Chu asked, looking me over.

I grinned. "Fairly good. How's the head?"

He smirked. "Good enough to take you in a rematch." He rubbed his mohawk ruefully at the thought of what happened to him in the first one.

I laughed. "Not in this condition, drunkie." I added the nickname teasingly. He laughed.

"Yusuke." I looked down at the yo-yo kid.

"Yeah? What's up?" I squatted so I was eye level with him.

"Um... Why did you defend us?" Rinku's aquamarine eyes bored into mine.

I grinned and ruffled his hair fondly. "Because I like you guys. And if anyone wants to mess with you, they mess with me." I gave him one last smile and glanced up at Chu. "And next time we meet, you'll get your rematch."

"I'm countin' on it, Yusuke." He grinned.

"Good." I stood and walked back into the forest. "See ya 'round."

I suddenly collapsed, shaking, weak about a mile into the forest. "Why... am I so damn tired...?" I whispered to myself, getting to my feet, wobbly. "Dammit!" So much for training, I was too exhausted. Sleep was probably the best thing I could do. Regretfully going back to the hotel room, I passed Hiei. I glanced at his arm. He looked up at me.

"What is it, Yusuke?"

"Is your arm better?"

His expression was empty, obviously trying to hide the pain. "Yes, I am fine."

"Liar." Putting him-seeing-me-with-hardly-any-clothes-on behind me, I gently grabbed his upper arm, and kneeled so I could examine the burnt lower half. I barely touched it, and he hissed in pain when I did. I raised an eyebrow as I attempted a reiki technique. No effect whatsoever. "Maybe electric therapy might help, get the nerves working again, but I would not know." I stood up. "I am not a doctor or physical therapist. Some training and exercise might help. As well as some morphine." I grinned, though it was forced.

He nodded. "Hn." He continued to walk down the hallway and took the stairs down to the lobby, to go presumably to the forest.

Shaking my head at his masochism, I went to my room and collapsed on the bed. Sleep was immediate, and so were the dreams.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, which wasn't too fast, considering I was five years old. My breath was coming in painful gasps, my legs burned and my lungs were on fire. I yelped as I tripped and fell on my face. I sat up and scooted backward, away from the shadowy figures. "Mommy..." I whimpered. The assailants just laughed. As one was about to dice me in two, a narrow stick, a _senbon_, I found out it was called later, hit him, straight through the neck, killing him. The others ran off. I glanced up fearfully as a tall, cloaked figure appeared. I could tell it was a he, somehow, before he spoke.

"What cowards, attempting to hurt a cub." He squatted down so he was eye level with me. His stunning violet eyes and pale skin were all I could see, from beneath his cloak. "Who are you, youngling?" He sounded like he was in his early twenties. But an aura around him made him seem older. I found out a few days later that he was actually a few centuries old.

"Urameshi... Urameshi, Yusuke." I stuttered. "Who... Are you?"

His eyes softened. "Call me Doku." He stood and helped me up. He noticed how thin I was. "Do you have a home?"

"Yes." My voice grew steadier, I knew he was not a threat. "But mommy is never home, so I have to go look for food." I shrugged. Even then, I knew how to pick pockets and steal.

"Come with me." I followed him without hesitation. My first encounter with the _hitokiri_. He trained me. And I found out later that he was a kitsune who had been banished to the human world and found the _hitokiri_ and joined, making his living that way. He taught me how to fight, to survive. He became something like an uncle, showing me how to rise up through the ranks and I eventually became a _Shidosha_ with him under me. He even got me someone to play with, Shinkiro, whose parents were killed and joined the hitokiri with revenge. He got it and stayed with me. He was actually fifty years old but was about his mid-teens. An older brother practically. And then I met Naifu. And he eventually became a body guard of sorts. And Kangae eventually became one of my friends and members of my _Shuha_, after much rivalry and competition. But I eventually earned his respect and became one of my most important fighters and ally.

By seven, two years later, I had become a full-fledged _hitokiri_. A few days later, I made my first kill without any regrets. And barely after my tenth birthday, I was a _Shidosha_. I hid this well from my mom, with the help of Shinkiro's illusions and eventually Kangae's mental abilities, which included mind wipes, and manipulation. During the day, I was Yusuke Urameshi, troublesome punk, but at night, I was Yurei'ha, the emotionless assassin, who became Yurei'ha _Shidosha_. I was two different people, and I was respected and feared, even among the _hitokiri_. Everyone, when they saw me, averted their gaze. We became the most feared _Shuha _by the time I was twelve. We were the best, feared by everyone in power, until that botched assassination and that was yet again, a year later, and this time as thirteen. And I am now fourteen.

Blood flew everywhere, friends and allies dying, my own throwing themselves in front of me to protect me... NO! I WANT TO REMEMBER! STOP! KANGAE NO! I DON'T WANT TO WAKE UP! HIEI! KURAMA! HELP! I WANT TO REMEMBER THEIR SACRIFICES!

"HIEI! KURAMA!" I screamed as I bolted up, panting and tired from thrashing around. "No... I want to remember..." I whispered, clutching my head in my hands, burying my face in my knees.

"Yusuke!" Kurama rushed into the room, Hiei on his heels. Hiei looked as if he had been running, his hair was tousled and his cheeks flushed. "Are you all right?" Kurama asked, sitting besides me, Hiei shut the door behind them and leaned against the wall beside me.

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine..." I whispered, wiping sweat out of my eyes. I shivered, the sheets sticking to my skin.

"Liar." I glanced at Hiei and smiled tiredly.

"Yeah... But... Ugh. I just... Never mind." I sighed. "Sorry for disturbing you."

Kurama smiled slightly. "Don't worry about it. Just remember that we are here for you if you need us."

I tried to smile genuinely, but I felt to exhausted. "Thank you." He nodded and got up. "We should go, Hiei." his eyes met mine. "Unless you want us to stay."

I shook my head. Hiei pointedly ignored the gesture and stretched out beside me. Kurama hesitated, then did likewise. "You want us to stay, admit it." Hiei smirked.

I just rolled my eyes, then closed them. I felt the body heat rise from both of them. I felt... Safe, protected, lying between the two demons. I snuggled in closer. Why not? I felt Hiei gently stroking my hair out of my face as I heard him whisper something. "Ai..." Was all I heard before I fell asleep again, a dreamless slumber.

_Senbon_: acupuncture tool used for medicinal purposes, but when pierced in a vital point, death is instantaneous, but when it misses slightly, death is slow and painful. Can be used to pierce other points as well.

_Hitokiri_: assassin

Kitsune: fox demon

_Shidosha_: leader of the _hitokiri_

Doku: poison

Shinkiro: mirage

Naifu: Knife

Yurei'ha: Ghost Blade

Kangae: "thoughts" or "mind"

_Shuha_: sect

Votes:

Hiei: 2

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 3


	7. Nightmares

My dreamless sleep did not last long. The black lightened to a gray and finally turned to colors. I glanced around. The dreams shifted, one nightmare to another. One showed Hiei clutching his arm in a forest, much like he had on the rock, another Kuwabara on the grass in the arena, his entire body bruised. Two more images, those of people, no demons, I did not know appeared. Once was an ice apparition that was on the ring floor, a while ripped right through his abdomen. Another was an unconscious red-haired demon. For some reason, I felt sorrow for them having to experience pain. I thrashed out, trying to wake up, but could not as I saw Kurama standing in the ring, unconscious, plants wrapped around his blood-covered body. My dream shifted again. I turned around.

I was at a dojo, a small stream trickled along, and I crossed the bridge to find myself at a sickbed. Several boys and men were crying. The only one who wasn't was the one on the bed.

"Master, you have to get better. I need you to be better." One of them whispered. He was apparently the youngest.

"I called the hospital and told them we could never pay the fifty thousand yen." Another one choked, closing his blue eyes as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Damn it! It just isn't fair! The man that treated us like his own sons is dying and there is nothing we can do about it!" Another clenched his fists, so hard that the nails drew blood so even though he was grasping the material of his pants, they went right through the denim, his long, burgundy hair hanging in his face.

Their master laughed. "Oh come now, how can anyone fear death when they have had such wonderful students as you. My eyes are the only dry ones in the room." His voice sounded choked with held-back tears. "But there are some things you cannot control."

There was silence until a sinister laughed filled the room. Half of the students leapt to their feet. "Who are you?"

"Possibly the answer to your prayers." I looked at the guy; he looked like an evil troll gone mad scientist. Which he probably was, I conceited when I heard him say what he said next. "I can heal your master."

"We'll do anything!"

"Well, I will need-" he pointed to five of the boys-"you for an experiment."

"We'll do it!"

I sank to my knees, clutching my head. "NO… TELL HIM TO GO AWAY!" I shouted, abruptly waking up and sitting up, panting. Hiei and Kurama woke up a moment later.

"Everything alright?" Kurama asked, looking worried.

I nodded, though I felt pale and shaky. "Y-Yeah… I'm fine…"

Hiei snorted. "Liar." I shrugged and grinned weakly. Hiei rolled his eyes and removed his headband. _Don't resist._ I heard his voice in my head as I felt sleep begin to envelope me as his Jagan flashed. _Or else I might accidentally hurt you._ I succumbed to his spell without a murmur. My sleep was without dreams, for real, this time.

"She trusts you completely, you know." Kurama remarked, glancing at the now sleeping Yusuke.

"I'm not the type to break an alliance. After this Tournament, I cannot guarantee a thing." Hiei retorted.

"But if her life was in your hands, would you save her?" Hiei didn't reply. Kurama raised an eyebrow, then snickered. "I see. You _are_ attracted to her."

"Nonsense." Hiei rolling to over to his other side so that Kurama wouldn't see him blush.

Waking, I lazily just laid there, nestled between Hiei and Kurama. I was certain when I woke up, they would not be there, but I am not complaining. I listened to the sound of their breathing, inhaling their scents. Kurama smelled like the roses he carried for his whip. But underneath that, he smelled like a garden, with lilacs, jasmine, and other blossoms, fresh and clean. Hiei was more woodsy, with the smell of pine and other trees, such as rowan and oak. And there were undertones of fire, crisp, and sharp. I particularly liked Hiei's. I glanced at his arm. I had seen him, on that rock, hunched over, clutching his arm in excruciating pain. And there was nothing I could do about it. Why did this feeling of utter helplessness feel so familiar? And why did I feel so melancholy...? It had to be those dreams. Damn it. If only I could remember. The only dreams that I had that I could recall were the ones I had just had before I woke up. Those guys... I could guess what happened to them, for they were on the Dr. Ichigaki team. Damn that little sadistic bastard.

I sat up and left the bed, silently. Going to my drawer, I quickly selected some clothes and went into the bathroom. Locking the door, I turned on the hot water and got in the shower. Three minutes later, I was toweled dry and dressed in my preferred fighting clothes. Which included a pair of loose, black cotton pants that hung around my frame with a snug-fitting noodle string tank top that shows off my stomach. I slipped on my fighting shoes and pulled on my knuckle gloves. Grabbing my light utility belt, which had my four _kunai_ knives loosely tied to it with string in such a way I just had to grab it and it came loose. I fingered one, each one had a different design on it, and each blade had an animal etched on it. Fox, wolf, snake, and falcon, each knife had one of these. I retied it and pulled on my white coat, which went down to about my ankles and hid my _kunai_ knives, and not to mention my _shuriken_ pouch on my thigh, so I could easily grab them and my _senbon_ case on the other one. Loosely tying my hair, so the rest was free, except from the back of my neck to half way down my back. I wrapped said hair with a white ribbon and tied a loose knot at the end so that it hung loose with the rest of my hair, though one end was a good five inches longer than the other end. Adding my also green wrist bands, I exited the bathroom, my still-damp hair clinging to my neck. Seeing Hiei and Kurama gone, I went to the main room of the suit. Sitting down, I quickly ate my breakfast and finished my preparations for today's fight.

Hiei leaned back against the tree trunk, mulling over the thoughts in his mind, the primary ones involving Yusuke. The way she had fought the other day, she had looked so happy... He had wanted to be the one fighting her. He had, once before, and that was when he had fallen for her, hard. And she when she had been the only one other than Kurama to trust him, without hesitation, that sunk it. Even Kurama had doubts when they first met. Now the fox was vying for her affections, as was that Chu. He had seen the way the Australian had looked at her when they were fighting. He sighed slightly. He had promised himself he was going to protect her, but with this arm, how was he going to? And he very well could not drop out of the competition and retrain his arm, because of what Toguro would do, but... Damn. He glanced up at Kurama, who had been standing on the limb next to his as he spoke. "Is this wise, Hiei?" He asked, referring to the training they were about to begin.

He snorted. "You heard what Toguro said. I do not have a choice." He heard two sets of approaching feet.

"The doctor's team seems to have gotten lost." Kurama smirked.

"Yes, a horrible coincidence for us both." He remarked, his left hand straying towards his blade.

I kept the dream to myself as they walked down the hallway to the arena. I wasn't too worried about Kurama and Hiei not being there, but, still, what if Ichigaki had tried something...? If he did, he was as good as dead. I didn't notice as the skin between my fingers began to throb and energy began to materialize. "Yusuke." The unknown energy vanished as I peered at the guy who was in front of me. He was richly dressed in silks, he had a pacifier, and the character "Jr." on his forehead. And don't forget the elegant golden eyes and light brown hair. There was an air of majesty and unearthliness about him.

"Koenma...?" I asked, looking at him closely.

"Yes, in my super-cool teenage form!" He laughed. "Yo, Kuwabara. Thanks for helping Yusuke out. It's cool." What an idiot, I could not help but think.

"I take it you have a reason for being down here, then?"

"Yes, I have found a few new ways to help you in the next fight." I gave him my undivided attention. "You're about to have a hatched egg."

I raised an eyebrow, then smacked my fist against the palm of my hand. "You mean the Spirit Beast egg."

"Yes. Unknown to you, for the past year, it has been gathering your energy and now it is ready to pop. Until then, you won't have any latent energy, but when it does, you can tap energy from it."

I raised an eyebrow but shrugged. I would worry about it later.

"Yusuke, did you learn the Spirit Wave?"

"Nope. Genkai thought I was not ready because of my 'utter lack of discipline'." I grinned.

Koenma gaped as he watched them enter the ring. That wasn't good.

When I walked to the center of the ring, I paused when I saw the three fighters, they were the… I saw Kuwabara stiffen as well. Genkai glanced at the fighters then at us. Two members of the team were missing.

"Well, well, two of our members are missing as well. What a horrible coincidence for us both." Ichigaki laughed. All of us walked to the center of the ring to decide the match rules.

"Three on three." Genkai a.k.a. the Masked Fighter announced. I knew this even though she looked and sounded much younger. Spirit Energy could do that to a person. I glanced at the troll, yep. It was the same guy.

"You drive a hard bargain." The doctor remarked, laughing. I stiffened slightly. "So, what do you say that we raise the stakes?"

"What do you have in mind?" I raised an eyebrow.

"If my team wins I use you for some of my experiments."

"Fine. But if mine wins, I get to kick your face in." I smirked. "And I will for what you have done to these three."

"Every genius has his critics." Genkai and I could watch Kuwabara's back in this, but... I shivered. I shouldn't have made that deal.

"These three competitors, I've met them before." I glanced at my mentor. "Their instructor Mitamura was a famous martial artist. He believed that building character was more important than physical skill. I was always struck by his student's respect for life. They would NEVER kill. No matter what."

That made a few things snap into place. The way they had fought in the tournament... I saw the reddish brown loops on their backs.

"Those things on their backs, it's controlling them." I gritted my teeth. "And I'm willing to bet that if I removed them, it would kill them."

I grimaced then shifted to a fighting stance as the match began. Genkai and I jumped out of the way, Kuwabara wasn't as lucky. He got a harsh blow to the stomach, pushing him to the edge of the ring, just as the burgundy-haired guy, M-3, I think the announcer called him, leapt into the air, his energy encircling his hand. I ran; I couldn't waste my Spirit Gun, not with this bad feeling in my gut. Jumping to meet him, I shoved him back, a snarl on my face. I tackled him to the ground as I felt a slight outpour of blood on my cheek. Flipping off him, I moved back to Kuwabara and Genkai. This would not be easy, was my primary thought as I wiped away the blood with the back of my hand.

_Kunai_: knives that are used by ninja/shinobi and assassins. It is one piece of metal that has a triangular blade and the handle is just wrapped in cloth. The end of the knife is a large hoop that can be used to attach it to belts, etc. The ones Yusuke/Yurei'ha has are Chosen, they are decorated and made by the _hitokiri_ that gives it to his/her _Shidosha_. They may contain feathers, etchings, designs, anything. Each one is different and specific, for they house the souls of their fallen makers if the Shidosha is still alive when they fall.

_Shuriken_: throwing stars

_Senbon_: acupuncture needles

Votes:

Hiei: 5

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 3


	8. Team Dr Ichigaki

"Jump." I muttered to Kuwabara as they charged. As we both did so, one sent an attack at Kuwabara, and the other at me. I barely dodged. Their energy was filtered, or something like that, so it should've been harder to see, but I could. Easy. Kuwabara got thrown to the other side of the ring, managing to stay in only by digging his Spirit Sword into the ring floor. Bad move... "KUWABARA!" I glared at the three fighters. Damn them... I felt the throbbing sensation between my fingers this time. What the hell...? Whatever.

I clenched my fists. Those things on their backs, if they controlled them... Kuso... They would kill that baka... If only... Of course! Genkai's Spirit Wave! I glanced at my sensei. She returned my look. She knew. But, she was holding back, for some reason or another. And not to mention the slightly startled look in her eyes when she realized I had paid attention to some of her lectures after all. I was almost literally knocked out of my thoughts by the guy with the black hair's Invisible Slash, but I managed to dodge it, again. Kuwabara was falling for their attacks, the youngest guy's Angel Blades had only one attack that was real, and the rest were for distractions. Then the others moved in with the "invisible attacks". It was brilliant, and effective. But why was Genkai holding back...?

I glanced up when I heard a shout of pain. Kuwabara. He went flying out of the ring. The throbbing intensified as I winced. He landed with a sickening crunch on the grass. I clenched my fists. How could they...? They had no control over their bodies, that's how. I answered my own question. And the baka knew that they were being controlled, for he mentioned having the same dream and he wasn't always a complete idiot. He had tried to reason with them, was my guess, for I was not paying attention to that, and got his plea shoved right back into his face. That... Idiot...

I glanced up as the sun was temporarily blocked and suddenly a robot of some kind crash-landed on the grass beside the ring. And Hiei and Kurama landed on it. "Took you guys long enough." I remarked.

"We were occupied." Hiei replied lightly.

"I'm sure you were." I looked back at the fighters. They were looking at me as well, but they weren't moving. "Did you by any chance know anything about this so called 'doctor'?" I asked Kurama.

"Yes." He basically confirmed my suspicions.

I paused before speaking as I watched the other three humans. I felt sick. "It must be hell in there." Their eyes wavered. I smiled sadly. "Watching yourself do things you cannot control." I nearly hissed from the pain of the throbbing. What the hell is wrong with me? "I would say this is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you, but I don't like to lie." I lunged at them, holding them off as Genkai started to concentrate her energy for the Spirit Wave technique. I instinctively summoned aura into my hands when one of them came at my side to block them. I glanced behind me and leapt behind Genkai towards the edge of the ring when I heard the chanting.

"Mei In Metsu Jyu Retsai Ko Ki Ki Kyou Chou Chim Com Mei Ei Kyaku!" As Genkai finished, and the kanji symbols vanished, the tornado of energy appeared from her hands, spiraling upwards.

Ichigaki shouted at his fighters. "Don't be fooled! I've gauged this fighter's strength! She doesn't have the power for an attack that big! It's just for intimidation! Kill her!" The fighters, under Ichigaki's influence, charged. Genkai glanced at them, and brought her arms down in an arc, making a kind of shield, holding the three humans in place as she shouted "Kou!" another kanji symbol flashed. "Jyou!" The shield pulsed. She quickly did some piercing. As she withdrew her hand from the final warrior, she uttered one final word. "Sai!" Their expressions softened as the Verruca, as I learned then were called from Kurama, were torn from their backs.

Kurama gasped. "What happened?"

"Something she had to do, nothing more." I stood and faced Ichigaki as Koto finished the ten count. "I think it's time to settle our agreement."

He backed away, visibly nervous. "What if I told you the Master Mitamura was still alive? And I'm the only one who knows where he is?" Kurama moved to the side, revealing the said martial artist. "Impossible!"

"Your assistant was in the mood to talk. We had to walk only three miles to find him." Hiei smirked.

"Only I can-! "

"Save your breath. Once I saw the symptoms, I was able to concoct an antidote." Kurama cut him off.

He looked around wildly, looking for escape. "Don't embarrass yourself." Hiei advised. The doctor just laughed and pulled out a syringe. Injecting whatever it was into his blood stream, I just shook my head.

"Do you really think genetic manipulation will save you?" I asked scornfully.

Ichigaki laughed. His arm suddenly stretched, as if it was warm putty. One arm forced Hiei into the ring; he crossed it with the other, slicing open my arm. "Yusuke!" Kurama shouted, and barely dodged Ichigaki's other arm. I fell back, blood pouring from my arm. Hiei moved in front of me, katana in his left hand. "Hiei, wait. I've got dibs on this jerk."

He glanced at Yusuke and smiled slightly. She wouldn't be the woman he loved if she didn't insist on finishing this fight. "Just don't get killed." She laughed at that.

"Fine, then. Defy all logic!" He moved out of the way as Ichigaki brought his arms down.

I grabbed them and used my Spirit Energy to cancel his own out. Lifting him into the air, I delivered three swift kicks to the chest, he flew back.

"That was for the three innocent lives you stole!" I gave him a punch in the face. "And that's for screwing with their master!"

"Nicely put." Kurama remarked, helping the still-weak man to stand up.

"And this is for my friend who felt sorry for them and got his ass kicked into the ground!" I punched him on the other side of his face.

"Thanks for the shout-out Urameshi." Kuwabara muttered.

"And the last one's for me." I brought my fist back. "JUST FOR PISSING ME OFF!" I delivered one final punch, right in the chin; he went flying into the stands. "Think about what you've done in hell." I muttered, wiping my hand on my jeans.

Mitamura looked down sadly. "It doesn't matter. Taking Dr. Ichigaki's life away is not going to bring them back. Yen." He looked at the youngest boy. "Ryo." The man with the long black hair. "Kai." He looked at the last boy with the scar across his forehead. "It's all my fault. How can I forgive myself?" He began to cry.

"Hey, save your tears. They're still alive." I jerked my thumb over my shoulder towards the three boys, who were starting to sit up. I watched the three converse, smiles on their face.

"I guess it worked. It had been twenty years since I've used that technique." Genkai smiled behind her mask.

"I never thought I'd see you." Mitamura walked to his three students, they quickly turned and looked at the ground. "Wait! Why do you turn?"

"We've committed horrible sins, master." Kai whispered. "I can't even remember all the people that I've-"

"The lessons you taught us didn't mean anything. We're a disgrace to your dojo." Ryo closed his eyes.

"Please, just leave us Master." Yen choked. "We can't bear to look at you now!"

"Damn it! Why couldn't she have just killed us!" Kai clenched his fists.

"Shut up." I looked at Kai, my eyes hard. "How can you just say that? Life is a blessing. Whether you think you deserve it or not. Take that advice from someone who has already died once."

Genkai stepped forward. "Yusuke's right. Your guilt is misplaced. The technique I used is called the Spirit Wave. It is one of the five great attacks by trial, and is powered by your own Spirit Energy. If your souls are corrupt, then the wickedness will take your life. But if you are pure of heart, that purity consumes you, destroying any outside impediments. It was your soul that soul that destroyed the Verruca and freed you, not me. That proves you have nothing to hide."

"Yen, Ryo, Kai, she says what I have known all along. If there was anything you could have done to prevent those kills, you would have." They shook slightly, tears still streaming down their faces at their Master's words. "Your bodies were taken over, but who you really are, your souls, are still clean. I see you in the same way now as I always have, as my three most noble students. Let us put this behind us!"

They trembled, then turned around and rushed to their sensei. "Master! We missed you!" Kai clutched his hand.

"Master, is it true? Are you really going to be okay again?" Yen asked, looking at him anxiously.

"Yes, I think so." They all hugged.

I grinned and glanced at Genkai. "That was some attack."

"Yes, you've done us well, Fighter." Kurama agreed.

"And so, in a dramatic explosion of emotion fit to make any demon wretch, the Urameshi Team is set to advance!" Koto announced. Yippee. I couldn't help but think sarcastically.

Remembering him, I ran over to Kuwabara. "How is he?" I asked Botan, who had come to look after him.

"It's nothing life threatening, but he's clearly going to need time to recover."

"Time, huh?" I glanced at him, contemplating this fact.

"YUSUKE!" I turned to face Kai, who was running towards me. "Maybe I can be of some help. I'd like to repay you if it's possible. We're the ones who hurt Kuwabara! Let me fight in his place. I'll join as your substitute!"

I looked at him, slightly surprised, and smiled. "Well, thanks for the offer. But this idiot would have a fit if I gave his spot away. You understand?" I nodded towards Kuwabara. Kai stepped forward, about to protest. But I continued before he could. "Plus we're only allowed one substitute. And that's only after one of our guys is dead."

"Urameshi, I'm not dead yet!" Kuwabara hissed through clenched teeth.

"Well, folks, it's official! Come on-" Botan and Kurama lifted Kuwabara to his feet. "Let's get Lazarus off the grass."

"You're a good man, but we got to go this alone." I smiled.

"I understand." His expression fell slightly, he was clearly disappointed. I glanced behind him.

"Take care of your master. I'd say he's the one that needs you most now." I nodded towards his master and fellow students leaving the stadium. He looked behind him, to see Yen and Ryo helping their master to the exit. I grinned. "Right?"

He nodded and smiled. "Of course, well, good luck. Maybe we'll see you again someday!" He waved slightly as he turned and ran after his "family".

I looked up at the demons chanting "Kill Urameshi!" and hissed. "Oh, shove it where it hurts!"

The bell signaling the committee having something rang. "May I have your attention please. The third round of the Dark Tournament will commence immediately."

"WHAT! Give me a break!" I shouted, running towards to my teammates.

"Further more; the Tournament Committee has unanimously decided to begin the round in accordance to the match diagram, starting from the left. Team Urameshi and Team Masho, please report to the ring."

"What? Again?" Hiei asked. I seriously considered attacking Koto, but it wouldn't change anything.

"I suspected they'd pull this. Two of our members are hurt, and after the Spirit Wave technique, I will be of little help as well." Genkai sighed.

"How can you let them do that!" I shouted at Koto.

"I'm sorry, miss, but if you have a complaint, you'll have to take it up with the committee, I'm sure there is a perfectly good reason for this decision!" She replied, nervously, watching my hands.

I considered this for a moment then grinned. "All right then, if a double-header's the call, I might as well enjoy. I've got plenty of anger left over from the troll doctor, anyway."

And a few minutes later... "Team Masho! This is your last call! Enter or be disqualified!" Koto shouted out. A brisk wind blew across the opposing side, turning into a tornado. When it disappeared, there were five robed fighters.

"Why do I get the feeling... This won't be an easy one...? I whispered.

Kuso: shit

Baka: idiot

Sensei: teacher

Votes:

Hiei: 5

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 3


	9. Gama vs Kurama

I glanced behind me and saw Botan helping Kuwabara get to the grass. "Oh look, he's off his sickbed. Now that he's fully recovered, I'm sure he'll be a great help." Especially with Hiei's arm injured and Genkai low on her power, considering the Spirit Wave drained her... Kurama nodded.

"Who wants to begin? The first can be captain." I looked at Team Masho. Another tornado tore off one of the fighter's robes, revealing a demon with longer bright red hair and ocean-blue eyes.

"I'll go and take those humans again." His accent was Irish and he spoke rapidly.

"Jin, the Wind Master. Well, that would explain who this team is."

I looked at Kurama, the wind blowing my loose hair around my face. "You know these jokers?"

"Indeed, most demons do. Team Masho must be a pseudonym for this tournament. Their actual names are the Shinobi of the Spirit World."

"Shinobi? What the hell does that mean?" It sounded familiar...

"They're stealth fighters. Deadly mercenaries to the highest bid. A dispute arises in Spirit World and they solve it in secret. You are familiar with their other name, aren't you? The ninja." Jin walked forward, the wind lifting his hair up, a crazy look on his face.

"Team captains will decide on the battle terms." Jin and I stood across from each other. Jin smirked slightly, his left fang pronounced.

"Let's fix these stakes simple enough. One to one to one until I'm a tower on my feet holding the five."

"Whatever he said." I agreed, shrugging. In other words, elimination match.

"Jin has asked for a series of one on one matches with the advancing team taking five wins, and Urameshi gives the nod!"

He stepped to the side and forward, I glanced at him, then joined in the circling, I didn't want to give this guy my back. He was strong. We circled once when he paused. He was just about to pass me when he spoke. "A damn near pleasant wind be fillin' the air now." He glanced at me and I met his gaze. "Tell a person by the wind and yours is the kind I like, Urameshi." I turned towards him a little more a questioning look on my face.

"Huh?" He just looked forward and continued to walk back to his team. I shrugged and walked back over to mine.

I looked up as the speaker spoke. "May I have your attention please. The Tournament Committee will be instituting a medical examination before the next round."

"What the hell is this?" I asked, jumping down from the ring. "Gym class?"

"Due to the Urameshi team fighting without rest and accordance to Section 13 of the Tournament Index, report to the medical tent." I groaned and faced the nurse coming towards them and shivered. I didn't like her.

"Hello." She raised her hand and glanced at each of us in turn. She paused at Hiei and Genkai. "Yes, you two fighters. Would you please follow me to the medical tent?"

"Don't be ridiculous. We need no attention. Why don't you nurse the fool lying on his back?" Hiei asked, obviously unimpressed with her.

"Because his wounds don't interest me in the way yours do, Hiei. Maybe I can help you." Reluctantly, they followed her to the tent. A minute or so later, they turned to leave. Just as they were about to, a force field of some kind surrounded the tent, surrounding them.

"Hey! LADY! WHY DO I GET THE FEELING YOU AREN'T A LICENSED NURSE!" I shouted, running towards them. Seeing the force field appearing.

She turned and removed the nurse outfit. "That's correct. My name is Ruka, considered the most talented creature alive in spell defense incantations." I gritted my teeth. They couldn't escape her, then. Nothing could get through that force field.

"GIVE ME MY DAMN TEAM BACK." I whispered, oblivious to the fact that I was surrounded by my energy, it flickered angrily.

"Didn't you hear the announcement? They're both very sick. They're going to need a little time to recover." She stopped and glanced behind her. "Sokujiyujyo." The energy forced them back, Hiei hissed in pain. I gritted my teeth, as my power inconspicuously increased.

"That energy thread, it uses their own Spirit Energy against them. The more they struggle, the more powerful it will become." Kurama glared at her.

"As a result of the medical examination, Hiei and the Masked Fighter have been ruled unfit to fight. They will sit out for the duration of the round while they are suitably treated." I growled at the announcement.

I turned and ran to the center of the ring, muttering, "What the hell is this!" When I reached Koto, I glowered at the announcer. "How can you let them lie like that? Fighting AGAIN was one thing-!"

"I don't have anything to do with these decisions! Really! I am completely neutral!" She shook her head vigorously.

"WRONG STUPID ANSWER!" My energy pulsated, causing the ring floor to crack, leading to the edge.

"It's all right." I glanced at Kurama, nodded, and took in a deep breath, forcing my energy in. He was right. The committee was against us; although we hadn't been hurt. Too badly at least. Hiei and Genkai were in no shape to fight, considering their lack of energy and strength. And this hopefully gave Team Masho a false sense of security; so we probably had that one small advantage.

I turned to the sound of laughter. The tallest of the five members of Team Masho stood behind Jin. "Two against five, now Jin. You can destroy them all."

Jin glanced at me and I could've sworn I saw sympathy in his eyes. He sighed. "Nah… I'm having to change my mind if it's going to be a fix like that." He closed his eyes and casually brought his hand to his ear and made a show of picking it. Bringing it away, he turned around and walked past his teammate as he said, "I don't give a damn. Somebody else go. I'm sure I'd rather be the watch now."

His teammate put his hand on Jin's shoulder, stopping him from going any farther. "It wouldn't be wise to think you can disrupt the sect this time." Jin turned to face him and put his hand around his teammate's wrist.

He glared death at him, eyes fierce, fangs bared. "Don't ever put your gritty hand on me again." He hissed as he easily pulled his hand off him and pushed him back. He walked to the wall and sat down, his hands behind his head. I could hear him whistle.

"Do not get too upset, Bakken." Another team member with a cross on his robe, advised. I shivered at the sound of his voice, it was like ice. Cool. Distant. "He only wants a true challenge in his battle."

Bakken replied harshly. "I could care less. Who's fighting them first?"

"Please." Another teammate stepped forward and jumped into the ring, shedding his robes. "The Master of Disguise will."

"You're on." I stepped forward, but Kurama moved in front of me. "What-!"

"Let me fight them as long as I can. You'll take over when I fall."

"Do you have to sound so optimistic?" I grumbled, but left the ring. For he could determine their weaknesses better than I could.

"It's Gama versus Kurama." Koto announced. "You may begin."

Gama brought out two paintbrushes from his double sheath. "Tell me, demon traitor; what does the word 'make-up' bring to mind? Human females, no doubt. A little gloss to attract the next mate."

"DON'T STEREOTYPE ME!" I shouted, flipping him off. Kurama chuckled slightly.

Gama continued, pretending he didn't hear her. "Disgusting isn't it? The way humans bastardized everything they touch." Kurama's eyes narrowed. "Over centuries the human influence has infected Spirit World as well." He brought the brushes to his face, leaving bright red paint on his eyes. "Now few demons even know its original power." As he painted his lips, it was a blue paint. He painted himself even more, leaving unusual designs and patterns. He sheathed the brushes and a red aura surrounded him. It boosted his power, but it didn't extend far from his body. Close combat was his specialty, apparently. "Allow me to show you." He charged Kurama, who easily dodged. He knew he was playing a dangerous game, finding the weaknesses before he struck, but he wasn't too worried. "I know all about your plant concoctions, Kurama. And I don't plan to give you time to make them!" He stumbled as he barely avoided a punch. Before he could move, Gama struck. "Let me demonstrate what I mean!" His brush encircled his leg. Gama laughed as Kurama struggled to move his left leg. The paint shimmered.

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly have you done to me?" He sank to one knee.

"Your leg feels like a giant block of lead, doesn't it?" Gama laughed again.

"That smell…." I groaned. Every part of Kurama's body Gama painted he couldn't move.

"Why try to fight the inevitable? The Makeup of Death has already marked you Kurama. There's no hope for escape."

"KURAMA!" I looked at the kitsune, eyes fearful.

My guess was Gama's makeup seeps through the clothing to the skin, which transmits his spirit energy, so it was as if Kurama was gripped by Gama physically. Gama attacked once again, painting the rest of Kurama's limbs.

"The Makeup of Chains." Gama proudly announced. "Nearly 2,000 pounds of weight is directly chained to his skin now." Gama leapt around Kurama, laughing. "Yes, that's better. Finally you're accepting your fate."

I watched my friend helplessly and whispered, "Please don't leave me alone with these guys…" My eyes widened as Gama went in for the kill. "KURAMA!"


	10. The Ice Master

"And now you die, demon traitor!" Gama ran at him.

"KURAMA!" The throbbing increased tenfold. I clutched my knuckles.

Then just as he was about to claw out his heart, Kurama turned his head.

"Rose Whip!" The whip, in a bright pink, formless state, struck Gama repeatedly, controlled by Kurama's will. Blood poured from the wounds. He sank to his knees. The whip was wrapped around his ponytail.

"But… The Makeup… of Chains…" The whip receded into his hair.

"Only an amateur depends on arms and legs for victory."

I breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Damn you…" Gama glared at Kurama. "Don't take credit for this. I've killed myself today by the mistake of not sealing your energy as well."

"Don't waste your breath on conversation. I know with the power you're using to restrain me you could easily heal your injuries. Release me and I will let you walk away with your life."

Gama laughed weakly. "Convincing, aren't you? But the battle isn't over yet."

"Even with my arms and legs bound, you are in no shape to fight me. Don't die pointlessly Gama. You're too intelligent for that."

Gama walked forward, blood trailing behind him. "I appreciate your confidence!" Blood splattered onto Kurama as Gama's punch missed.

"Don't move. You'll bleed to death if you keep trying to fight." Kurama sounded worried. Kurama leaned back slightly as he barely missed another punch. More blood fell on his clothing. "It's of no use. Be wise." Gama ignored him and kept trying to punch him.

'_I've killed myself today by the mistake of not sealing your energy as well.'_ My eyes widened as I realized Gama's intent. "KURAMA! KILL HIM! HE'S TRYING TO PUT ANOTHER SEAL ON YOU!" I shouted. His eyes widened.

Gama fell, blood pooling out beneath him. "The death is yours. Your friend noticed too late. And... You never asked me what made my makeup different from that of those human idiots. The difference is the main ingredient… It's made of MY BLOOD." Kurama's eyes widened even more as he felt his energy seal inside of him. "I gave you the Makeup of the Seal. It's what I should've done from the start. So I die, knowing that it was NOT in vain…" His head fell as he died.

Another sect member stepped forward and pulled off his robes, it was the one who had spoken earlier. "You fought bravely Gama. I assure you your death will be honored." His pupil-less icy blue eyes looked at Kurama emotionlessly. "Kurama will pay." I stood from my sitting position beside Kuwabara and ran to the ring, but too late.

"Time's up. By default I must consider those in the ring as the next opponents. So it's Kurama versus Touya!" Kurama bit his lip. His legs and arms were still anchored down by Gama's first curse. He could live with that. His energy trapped inside, he could not. But... Maybe he could stall for time.

"Please, answer me one thing first. Why? The Shinobi have always dealt with their affairs in secret. Why expose yourselves now?"

Touya closed his eyes, then opened them. "For light."

"Explain."

"Its simple, even the strongest tree will die if left in the dark. I find that the best way to describe us. A giant oak, crashing through a dark soil, bringing order to an otherwise chaotic land. The Shinobi have done their job for centuries, and done it well. But in recent years, we have seen glimpses of the outside world and asked 'why not us? Have we not earned the privilege others take for free?' We are entering a new era, and we will begin with a land of our own. This island. It has been arranged that if we win the Tournament, Hanging-Neck Island will be our prize."

"Heh. The ninjas are revolting." Hiei leaned forward.

"The Shinobi have survived for centuries by one master passing on everything he knows to one apprentice before he dies. The previous masters must've made poor selections. These fighters don't know their place." Genkai glanced at them scornfully.

"I don't give a damn about their internal disputes. The only thing that's important is how strong they are. I've fought my share of ice warriors. Seiryu the Blue Dragon fell to my sword quickly enough, but was no master. He was a fool who thought he could get by on half of his lessons. But if there is an ice master, any one who completed the complete training his master intended for him that knows the art of ice, it is Touya."

I listened in. "That's reassuring, Hiei." I muttered and looked back at the ring.

"Let's cease with the conversation. I know you are simply trying to buy time for that seal to wear off."

"I admit, you caught me with my hands red." Kurama inwardly groaned. 'His wits match my own.'

"You boys are having way too much fun. Begin!"

"Gama made the mistake of giving you too much time to think. Not me." Touya clenched his hands into fists and jettisoned his power out, enclosing the ring in it.

"Whoa, that's cold." I gasped, shivering.

"Your own climate control, that's very impressive." Kurama remarked.

"In addition to improving my attacks, it will serve as a barrier." Touya's hands were surrounded in a green light, his energy. "I admit, even with your energy sealed, I am somewhat hesitant to get near you, what with your little rose whip maneuver. You understand." He brought his hand to his mouth and moved it so the surface was, the green light taking form. "I'd rather kill long distance." There was a high, piercing whistle and the razor-sharp blades of ice flew from his hand. "Shards of Winter!" Kurama regained use of his legs just in time to dodge the fatal blow of the assault. Landing, he ran. "Nice try." Touya ran with him. "You'd better think of something quickly, Kurama. You can't dodge these forever." He blew another attack at him. Kurama barely dodged the attacks, using his flexibility and acrobatics. "SURRENDER!" He couldn't dodge. He winced as he used his body to stave off the fatal blow. He stayed down for a second, to buy time. Touya smirked. As Kurama stumbled to his feet, he clutched his side. "That hit was not enough to beat you. I know you stayed down intentionally in yet another attempt to buy time. I suggest you don't try it again."

Kurama inwardly groaned 'I have to find a way to my energy soon, or else he'll bleed me to de-' He looked down at his blood-covered hand. 'Perhaps…' He ran again. Touya readied his energy for more attacks and ran beside him. Ripping his shirt, he used his blood to rub off the seal. 'This seal is powered by Gama's blood. Perhaps my own will disengage it.' He stopped and finished rubbing it off.

"Now, now, don't underestimate Gama's abilities. It'll take a lot more than smearing to disengage it."

Kurama looked at him, and pulled his rose out from his hair. "Rose Whip!" He cried out in pain when he tried to change it.

"I see, you found inklings of your energy in your blood. Only one problem, to release enough energy to defeat me, you'd have to bleed yourself dry." Green light surrounded his hands again.

Kurama fell to his hands and knees. Blood droplets fell beside his hands. 'Touya's right again. These drops won't get me anywhere. I have to find a way soon. I HAVE to win.'

"Gama's seal won't wear off anytime soon. Admit it Kurama, I'm holding the end of your life in my hands." He sent the attack at the helpless fox, which used the same defensive technique, but fell to the floor.

Touya looked at Kurama nervously. 'No one could survive all those direct hits from my ice attack, unless…' He gasped. "You are dangerous, aren't you? I haven't been making direct hits. You've been blocking your vital points with your own body. You must be very old, experienced. Perhaps as I am."

"More alike than you know. Now, tell me, when you get this island, what do you plan to do with it?"

"The world will know just as soon as we get there."

"Don't assume."

Touya's mind raced. 'Could it be he still plans to win this? He's been delaying me after all, letting me believe I was winning all the while thinking of some clever plan…' He concentrated his energy and let it encase his arm in ice, creating a sword. "I can't allow this to continue." Kurama's face was grim. He lunged at Kurama, who dodged and jumped out of the way. "A lucky move, my friend. Let's see how long you can keep that up. RAAH!"

He attacked Kurama, who dodged. 'The slightest mistake and I'll be killed!" And a few more minutes of more lunging and nearly getting beheaded. "I can't postpone any longer. So no more delaying the inevitable…' He let Touya's sword cut his arm. He fell back and onto the floor.

"Kurama! Are you trying to get yourself killed!" I shouted, close to tears. Kurama looked at me fiercely. I felt the breath catch in my throat from the look of determination on his face.

"Let me do what I must, Yusuke." He smiled, but looked more like the fox he was than ever. I smiled back, and nodded. He stood and clutched his arm, inserting a seed into the open wound.

"It seems I got to know you quite well in such a short fight and I rather like you. Let's not let this slaying ruin our friendship." Touya's icy sword reflected the light sinisterly.

"My thoughts exactly." Kurama replied before he started running again.

"Now, you should've have run. I can't guarantee a painless kill that way." Touya remarked. Kurama stopped. "Kurama! Farewell!" Kurama's seed burst open and the vines ran down his arms, ripping through Touya's stomach and keeping him from stabbing him. "But… How? Your energy's trapped inside of you, how could-!" His eyes widened and he gasped as saw the source of the vines. "Insane. You had sown the Death Plant into your own body."

"It was my only option. My energy is trapped inside."

"You… Really are something else…" Touya collapsed. I let out the breath I'd been holding. The barrier vanished and Koto started the count. Touya unsteadily tried to stand up. "Rnn….Uh… ah…." He fell down again just as Koto's voice echoed "Ten!". He paused for a moment, catching his breath. "You won the match, I admit." He looked up at Kurama, his eyes devoid of emotion. "Please, kill me."

Votes:

Hiei: 5

Kurama: 0

Hiei and Kurama: 6


	11. Inazumaha Ito Gijutsu

Kurama looked down at him. "I will not."

"What?" Touya looked at Kurama in shock.

"You never answered. What will you do with this island, if you get it?"

"Who cares!" Touya shouted.

"I, too, have spent years in shadow. Interesting… How unexpectedly, regret can appear… That's what this light does… I just wanted to know if your life could be better… Nobler… Than mine has been…" His hand, which had been clutching the wounds around his abdomen, fell.

Kurama…." I whispered, he had been a thief, one of the best. I could understand how he felt, for some reason, some how. After Koto announced his unconscious state, I shouted to the announcer, "Hey, Koto, for the record, the rest of the fights are mine!"

"All right-?" She began to agree when she was interrupted.

"I don't know, he's standing. It looks to me that he still wants to fight." Bakken entered the ring.

"Oh give me a BREAK! He's not even conscious!" I shouted, this was not going to be good...

Koto looked between the two of us nervously. "Team Captain decides-"

"Correction." The Committee siren announced. "A fighter cannot be removed from the ring against his will. And as will cannot be determined here, the fighter remains."

"DAMN YOU!" My nails dug into my palms, drawing blood.

Bakken lifted Kurama. "Not much of a challenge for me, I like that." He brought back his fist.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM!" I shouted as he punched Kurama, ripping his shirt and sending him to the floor. My energy began to pulsate again.

"STOP!" Koto got between Bakken and Kurama. "I'm all for extreme torture and pain, you disgusting horse, but this guy's not even awake to enjoy it!"

"Shut up. We're making the rules here." He grabbed her by the back of the shirt, Koto began to kick, and threw her from the ring. "Now that the ref's out of the picture, we can really have some fun." He punched him again, a back handed attack. Kurama was thrown to the ground again.

Jin started to stand; this was not what he was here for. "We could use the win." He shrugged, but glanced at Yusuke and readied to fly away. Good thing Touya had been taken to the hospital ward, she was ready to go off. He saw the blood drip down from her palms and the look of animalistic bloodlust. He looked at Risho, then Bakken. Hate for what they were doing was in his gaze. "If she does not kill you for this, I will, ya fuckin' bastard."

I clenched my teeth as I felt my control begin to slip away. "I'm taking a ten count!" Koto got back into the ring.

"Count yourself out then!" He shoved her back out. "I won't risk enjoying myself any longer." He picked Kurama up again. "I'LL JUST BREAK HIS FACE!"

I brought up my right arm, my knuckles still throbbing. Hiei concentrated his energy.

"Bakken. Stop." He stopped in mid punch.

"But why Risho?"

"Lay him outside the ring."

"He's killed our sect members!"

"Yes, and if you had landed that punch, you would've died as well."

"What?" He turned and saw Yusuke ready to fire.

"Or do you think you would've survived a bullet in the back? It's clear she cares more about that demon's life than this tournament. She's willing to fight every apparition in this stadium if she must. We need to win, not be involved in a revolt."

"Your getting soft, Risho. You'll end up like Gama and Touya." He looked at Yusuke, her face was set. He nervously trembled. "Fine. Take your precious buddy." He threw Kurama onto the grass.

"Your friend got a lucky reprieve." Ruka remarked, watching Yusuke carrying Kurama over to Botan.

"So did you, witch." She turned to look at Hiei. "Or should I say, so did everyone else in the stadium."

"Yusuke was not the only one about to fire. Hiei was about to as well. And their combined energy would not have been contained in the ring. Risho felt it, didn't you?"

"Hiei mounting an assault. Why that's very funny. Have you forgotten you're inside my force field?"

"Drop the act, Ruka. We are regaining strength. While yours remains as meager as always." She glared at Genkai.

I ran over to him and lifted him. Setting him beside Kuwabara, I looked back over at Bakken, my energy running wild, my knuckles throbbing like crazy. I walked over to the ring. "Match three, Bakken versus Urameshi. Begin." I watched him sweat. It contained some weird power. I would not let him get any hits on me. Though I would amuse myself in the sweat-mist.

"Mystical powers of Shinobi! White Mist!" the mist rose off him, causing the entire arena to be shrouded in it. I smirked.

On sudden impulse, my hand strayed to my belt and pulled out the two bells I kept there, for some odd reason. When I found the belt they had been in there, and I had never taken them out. They nestled between my index, middle, and ring finger comfortably. I didn't realize it but my eyes narrowed and took on a red shade as "Yusuke Urameshi' slipped away. "Now... let me show you why I was called _'the relentless assassin'_ or _'the ghost blade'_, Yurei'ha." I whispered, the bells tinkled oddly sinisterly. "_Inazuma-ha Ito Gijutsu_!" The strands of the _koto_ strings slid out of the bell. "Fourth move of the fifteenth form! _Ito Kanmon_!" I manipulated the threads until a barrier surrounded the entire arena. Bakken, didn't even realize it. I saw him coming and easily vanished into the mist. I would've been a very sad _hitokiri_, not to mention_ Shidosha_ if I could not. I reappeared behind him. He did not even realize it. "Now... To avenge Kurama." I brought the bells back up. "First move of the thirtieth form. _Raiu Kyokoku_." Bakken shouted out in pain as the threads rushed him, flaying him alive. He fell to the ground. I glanced at him, emotionlessly. "_Kouryu_." He screamed as the threads fell and stabbed through his skin, pinning him to the floor. I lifted the bells in the air, which was soon filled with the sound of the _koto_. The gentle hypnotic sound filled the stadium. "_Tatsumaki_." I gripped the thread and spun it much like a bola, clearing the stadium of all mist. And as the sun shone through, it revealed my little barrier. There were collective gasps among the audience.

"How... Did you...?" Bakken coughed, held to the floor with the strands of thread.

I smirked. "Ah... You're wondering about my _Inazuma-ha Ito Gijutsu_, hm?" I smiled as the music continued as the threads gently hung in the air, held up by the light breeze. "You're wondering how these frail _koto_ strings can cut flesh? Easy. It depends on how they are wielded." I gently moved my hands along a string, the sound was haunting. Bakken visibly shivered. "It's all about vibrations. And nimbleness with hands. I manipulate my threads in such a way that they _can cut through steel like a hot knife through butter_. Using the _Inazuma-ha_ technique, one mimics the forces of nature with the threads. As for my attacks, well, the barrier is like a spider web. _Raiu Kyokoku_ is copying the raging waters of a thunderstorm in a canyon. And _Kouryu_ is simply the rain that falls." I fingered the strings, eyes narrow. "And _Tatsumaki_ is the whirlwind, I merely used my own body and strength as a substitute for the wind." I gently grasped the threads in my hands. "It took me a good seven years to master _Inazuma-ha Ito Gijutsu_, but it was worth it." I glared at him in my _hitokiri_ death glare from which he shivered. I smirked.

"Please! Spare me! Show me mercy!"

"Right, mercy, the way you showed Kurama mercy when he was laid out on the floor." I had been fingering the bells in front of me, but I whipped my arm to the side, the bells echoed in the silent stadium. Bakken struggled against the blood-soaked threads. "Hn." I whipped my hand back, and they flew back into the bell, at least the ones holding him down. "I'll give you a fighting chance." I eyed his wounds doubtfully about that as he struggled to his feet. "But you know, the funny thing about a rainfall... No matter how much you towel off, you can't get rid of those last drops..." He stared in me in sheer, stark terror. "Shizuku no Yu!" He let out one final shriek as I snapped my fingers, and the threads that I had wrapped around them when I was fingering them caused the rest to tear him apart, limb from limb in an explosion of blood. "Pitiful." I snorted as I, in one quick movement, whipped the bells up into the air, the thread returning into them. I caught them with a slight tinkling sound. I then turned and walked back towards Kurama. I didn't even realize that my eyes slowly returned to their normal size, and the red hue faded.

I kneeled beside him. "How're you doin'?"

He smirked, and laughed; though it was more of a choke. "I'll live, the injuries I got from Team Masho are nothing compared to this Death Plant." He smiled up at me. "We really do reap what we sow, right?"

"Just get some rest, the other to are about to be fish bait soon." I started to stand, but stopped when Kurama spoke.

"Be cautious of them, Yusuke. These last two are without a doubt, the strongest." I nodded and pulled off my coat. And dumped my belt beside it as I saw Jin approach the ring. This guy... This guy I wanted to fight for real. We both walked towards the ring as Bakken's mutilated corpse was dragged off and the blood wiped up.

_Inazuma-ha Ito Gijutsu_: Lighting Blade Thread Technique (take off of Kazuki's technique in Get Backers)

_Koto_: Japanese stringed instrument

Ito Kanmon: Thread barrier

_Hitokiri_: assassin

_Shidosha_: leader of hitokiri

_Raiu Kyokoku_: Thunderstorm Canyon

_Kouryu_: Rainfall

_Tatsumaki_: Whirlwind

Shizuku no Yu: Drop of Water

Votes:

Hiei: 7

Jin: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 7

And note, I do not make the pairings, the voting is what my reviewers want, and if you want another person to be nominated, e-mail me and they will be added to the list.


	12. Spirit Wave

"Lucky eyes, you got…" He smiled, then got irritated at the crowd's consistent chanting and random threats and comments. "Dammit I can't believe ruckus they're washing up, you can't even make a thought! Ah course I wouldn't mind if it weren't for the ears." He leaned closer to me so I could see. "See? They're all up and pointy and wiggling unlike they were before." He squatted. "Get in that way when I'm happy or excited and I haven't been either in a long time. But saw biggy gettin' creamed, 'WHEW!' almost lost it!" He got back up. "Why didn't you hear me?" He leaned in close again. "I'm talkin' about how you knocked away Bakken's fog and took him for a first class ride on your strings, you know. I never did like that guy; the wind around his pores was pretty stinky. Actually, I'm kind of glad you waxed him. OH!" He tensed for a second, like a child caught stealing from the cookie jar. He leaned in even closer and brought up his hand to whisper in my ear "Don't tell Risho I told you that."

I couldn't contain my laughter any longer. Laughing, I managed to gasp. "I was right to want to fight you without any of my other weapons."

He smiled and faced her. "Good, 'cause bearin' a grudge is no way to fight, so it says. You just got to fight the fight to find the strongest guy is all." His hands on moved to his hips as he was talking. He laughed and unleashed his power. I brought my arms up to cover my eyes.

"Well, Jin, I can't say my ears are pointing up, but I'm looking forward to kicking your ass."

"That's the spirit!" He sat on the air. "Let's have some fun then!"

"Fun?" I asked, incredulously, "If I loose my whole team's screwed and if I win I have to fight again, yeah, that SOUNDS LIKE FUN!"

"Match four, Urameshi versus Jin! Let her rip!" I ran forward, just to have Jin shot up into the air.

Jin inhaled deeply. "So this is what the wind in the big bright and open feels like, huh? I always wanted to know…" He looked at the peaceful forest and the waves crashing against the shore. "It really could all be ours… It might be worth having the ol' Shinobi job with a place like this."

"ENJOYING THE VIEW?" He looked down and laughed at Yusuke's comment.

"And all I have to do is beat Urameshi to get it." He dived down, using the sun as a blinder. Deliberately missing Yusuke by a few inches, he circled, laughing. He glanced at Yusuke; she was apparently enjoying the breeze. Hm. So th' lassie liked a good wind, huh? "Man's got to get the right spirit before a fight, right Urameshi!" She laughed in response, her eyes showing her exhilaration. He smiled as he flipped back onto the air above the ring and rushed her. He knew he was going to enjoy this.

I took the punch straight to the face. "How 'bout a TRADE?" And nearly kicked him, but went skidding on the ring floor. I got to my knees. "I admit that didn't have much of a chance…" Then wiped blood from my mouth. "But keep punching like that and I'll enjoy this." Jin smiled.

"Urameshi's attack came from a nearly impossible stance, unheard of in martial arts schools. I can't imagine any master teaching her that one!" Koto commentated.

Jin looked stunned for a moment, then smiled, looking at me with something that could almost be called brotherly affection. "We're a pair in a pod, Urameshi. Never doin' anything that someone tells us to do. Even if we don't make sense. Better to be messy on your own than under somebody's watch, am I right?" He brushed his ear with his thumb, it sprung back up.

"Yeah, why let some teacher get all the credit?" I got to my feet and grinned. "I figure I've been doing all right on my own so far."

Jin landed. "Let me show you something I picked up without bosses flapping their mouths." He moved his arm in a circular motion. When he stopped the motion, a tornado had appeared. He brought his fist vertical to the ground. "This is one of my favorites. Tornado Fist's the name." I evaluated it. It was stronger than it appeared. "So you ready?"

I smiled and nodded. "Bring it!"

Laughing, Jin ran to me. "RNHHH!" He punched, I felt it nick me and I was blow away.

Dammit! Barely touched me and I'm being blown away like a piece of paper! I'll have to avoid a direct hit! That's it! Jin's goin' down! I thought as I realigned my body.

"Looks like Urameshi's got a date with the cement!"

I landed and held onto the wall, then saw Jin coming. Leaping out of the way, I looked back at him. There was a huge hole where I had been a second before. His ears were perked up, bouncing almost. "It's been a while since I could fight someone and have some cheer about it, you know?"

"I think I do." I grinned as we both walked or flew back into the ring. As we stood across from each other; Jin smiled and lifted his arm for another Tornado Fist. "NOT THIS TIME, PAL!" I lunged at him and he had one heck of a time defending himself. Leaping back, he blocked my punches and barely blocked another barrage as I came at him from the side. I knew this was pointless unless I could 'clip Jin's wings' as Hiei put it. But I managed to land a solid punch. He fell back, clutching his stomach. I ran in for a final punch, knowing this was my chance, and he used the wind current to fly into the air. "And there's my chance going airborne, DAMMIT!"

Jin clutched his stomach, coughing. "No wonder Chu was taking the dive into the ring then, Yusuke having punches like that is enough to kill any mug." He sighed. "I'll just rest up here for a big, think myself up another plan."

I knew Jin's tactics from previous fights. He'd block a Spirit Gun with a wall of wind. I gritted my teeth. It was worth a try, though, seeing he seemed to be lost in thought. I aimed and shot. I saw and felt the wind change as the tornado encircled him. My blast collided with it, and was blown to the side. I wasn't surprised; I had been expecting it. As the wind dissipated, it revealed Jin. He looked peaceful, his hands were held as if in prayer just below her sternum. His entire position was relaxed. "Whew… Real heart-pounder that one was." He put a hand over his heart. I laughed at his comment. Jin joined in. "Been a blast playin' defender, but I think I'll get on with my attack." He rotated his arms, winding up for a Tornado Fist, while in midair this time. I grinned. I had already died once, and the Human World was over-rated anyway. Flipping back, he pushed off straight towards me. Refusing to budge, I channeled my energy to my index finger. Just as soon as he couldn't reverse himself, my grin reappeared as I raised my arm. "Come on now, don't be crazy!" Jin shouted.

I laughed. "Wanna see who can take a bigger ass-kicking!" I shouted as I fired. "SPIRIT GUN!" Dammit! I was blown back from the force of my energy igniting in the tornado, though I knew I wouldn't die, Jin had seen to that when he took action and realigned the jet stream upward, sending most of the blast with it, saving both of our lives. Why didn't he just guard himself...? So he was funny _and_ smart. That hardly seemed fair, but as a Shinobi, he had probably seen his fair share of action. It had been worth a shot. I crashed into the wall; I sat there, struggling to get up. "Oh hell..." I glanced up to see a perturbed Jin.

"I thought **_I_** was crazy Urameshi, but you take the prize! The hell was that! You don't make bombs go boom in your face!" I just grinned at his outburst.

"So I take it you have a plan, Yusuke?" I glanced at Hiei, for I had been blown to the medical tent.

I had to laugh. "Oh, come on now, its Yusuke here." I smiled. "I don't have a clue!"

"You might not be so proud about it when you lose." Hiei glanced at me.

"Just shut up! Something always comes to me in the end!"

He smirked and cocked his head to the side. "Yes, well, even a fool has to admit there's truth to that." He looked back up at me. "So go ahead and be as reckless as you want to. I'll be taking over in the next fight."

Ruka glared at him. "Oh please, as if you could escape me, you couldn't return, it'd be illegal."

"Illegal? Listen Ruka, most of my strength has returned and any one who stands in my way… I think you know the rest." Hiei smirked evilly.

"You truly have a way with women, Hiei." Genkai remarked.

I laughed and jumped into the ring. "Don't get too excited, I'm takin' on their last guy as soon as I beat Jin."

"Oh? Just as you beat Jin you say?" He got a smug look on his face. "Last I remember you were the one running on the ground."

"I thought I'd try this time." I smirked.

"Funny woman, Urameshi! I'll try as well!" Woman...? Whatever. As Koto declared the fight to begin again, I saw Jin prepare TWO Tornado Fists. My eyes widened. "The finger gun can't handle two of these dallies at once, can it?" Jin asked, smirking.

Shit. No way I could counter it with a Spirit Gun, Spirit Grenade Launcher, maybe, but definitely not a Gun.

Jin was surrounded by currents of air. "The fight we had was nice and I see you like myself. Two tornadoes doesn't mean I hate you, it only means I have respect." I just smiled and moved my foot back. I had nothing else that would compete with the Tornado Fist and it would be effective, if I could use and the stain didn't kill me first. I had tried everything else, now it was time to be stupid. Copying Genkai's Spirit Wave position, I concentrated my energy, turning my whole body into a channeling weapon.

"Now we're talkin', Urameshi, your wind's running like a typhoon! And if my ears were any pointier I'd poke out a person's eye!" Jin laughed, flipping back. Flying straight at me, he brought his fist forward. I caught it. "What are you doing now, Yusuke? Tornado in the hand no one does!" I knocked it aside. "IT'S GOODBYE!" Jin shouted, flipping back to get more power behind his second Tornado Fist. I blocked it with a kick. As I kicked his fist away, it left an opening. I concentrated my energy into my fist.

"SPIRIT WAVE!" I punched him right in the gut, purposely missing his vitals, just in case. He flew out of the stadium; I was tired, but to give myself a little bit more of an advantage against Risho, I fell to my knees, gasping for breath. I glanced at Keiko and Shizuru; they were leaving their seats. I then looked up and saw why. Jin crashed into the stands, unable to break his fall with his wind. He appeared to be unconscious. As Koto began to count, Jin struggled to his feet. 'Please, please stay down.' I thought as sweat slid down the side of my face. Jin had a look of pure determination on his face as he got to his feet.

"Hold on a minute, Urameshi, I'll be down in just a sec…" He smiled thought it was tired. She saw his expression turn to that of complete and utter exhaustion as he fell forward, into the stands again. With a crash.

I let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and called up to Jin. "That was a damn good fight Jin. It's nice to know I'm not the only freak around. Maybe we'll hang out if you ever wake up." I grinned.

Votes:

Hiei: 7

Jin: 2

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 7


	13. Energy Pulse

Risho walked onto the ring floor after shedding his robes amid cries of anger. "Team Masho's pathetic!" "Yeah, they started out five against two!"

Risho looked at me from across the ring. "You will die without even laying a finger on me."

"Say what?" I growled, getting an anime vein.

"Begin!" Koto announced.

"Okay, pal, I'm going to kick your ass out of a principle!" I charged forward.

"Stop the fight immediately." I stumbled, fell and rolled and as I stood up, I turned to face the sound system.

"Committee, why are you stopping the fight?" Koto asked.

"And more importantly, why'd you make me look like a complete idiot? " I asked, dusting myself off.

"In a review of the last fight, it has been discovered that Koto delayed her count significantly. The fight between Urameshi and Jin had been ruled a double loss."

"What…? I can't loose… I haven't even begun…" I sank to my knees.

"My condolences." Risho laughed. Koto dropped her mike. "What are you waiting for, Koto? Bestow my team with the victory."

Koto picked up the mike. "As an experienced officiator and lover of this tournament I must object!"

"No arguments." I clenched my fists, nails digging into the not-yet-healed cuts.

"Risho!" I glanced at Touya; he stumbled towards the ring, one arm clutching his wounded abdomen. He pulled himself into himself into the ring. "This deceit has gone too far. Don't you see it will make a mockery of their sacrifices?" He looked up at Risho, his face showing his pain and disappointment in his leader. "Gama willfully gave his life so we could win, not cheat our way out." I concentrated my energy; Risho was about to strike. And Touya was in no condition to block or dodge.

"Spare me your romantic drivel Touya. He fought for the light, and we are going to enjoy it." Risho concentrated his energy as well.

"But honor-" Touya began.

"Nonsense!" Risho cut him off and surrounded his arm with what appeared to be clay. "We must keep our eye on the final goal Touya. That's why I'm the leader and you the grunt." I tensed, and moved. Just a second before his arm made impact with Touya's stomach, I caught it. Energy sizzled and flew around. I glared at him. I glanced behind when I heard Touya's labored breathing.

"If you want to live, I suggest you leave the stadium. Now." I muttered to him as I pushed Risho back a step. He nodded and stumbled off.

Risho turned towards Koto. "As for you, Koto, do you think it wise to side with humans in this stadium? Keep up the resistance and I have the feeling you won't be officiating for long." He walked towards her, she backed away nervously.

"What? This is my show!" She protested.

Now I was pissed. Moving so I stood in front of Koto, I brought my arm between her and Risho. "You seem really anxious to intimidate everyone but me. Guess what that means?" I smirked at the Shinobi.

"Detective." I looked at Hiei. "You follow this tournament's rules and you'll be dragged down with them. There is only one real rule of the Dark Tournament: the strongest man survives and wins." A ball of dark energy was in his hand. He clenched his fist around it. "I've retrieved enough energy to rip my way out. Let's show this whole stadium a new definition for the word victory!" His energy began to combust and tear through the force field.

"We're going to die anyway, so why not take on every damn freak in the stadium?" I raised an eyebrow. Just along the lines of what I had been thinking. "Why not? I'm already about to go off." I concentrated my energy again. "YAAAH!" I shouted as it ripped out of me, wave upon wave of energy bombarded Ruka's force field, both Hiei's and mine. She screamed either from fear or pain.

Our energy writhed and combined, tearing holes and escaping into the stands. The screams echoed through the stadium.

Through the energy, I glared up at the box where the committee was sitting. "If you don't repeal that decision, I'll destroy this entire stadium!" I knew my threat was heard through the whole audience from the cries of fear.

After a few moments, the P.A. crackled to life. "Upon another viewing of the tape, we discovered Urameshi would have beaten a properly done ten-count and we repeal our last ruling." If it weren't a machine, I would've sworn there was fear in the voice.

I smirked. Hiei restrained his energy.

"Ready to die, Risho?" I asked, laughing. Risho's face was contorted in anger.

'What the hell had caused the committee to change its mind!' was his apparent thought.

I stood across from him. I glanced behind me, I had to win. Kuwabara would fight only as a last resort. I had to end this, and quickly. Risho looked at me warily. I grinned, unaware of the fact that my eyes had narrowed again.

"Begin!"

I had to kill him before he could assemble any armor and/or attacks. I nearly screamed out in pain as I gathered what remaining energy I had left and encased the entire ring in a huge bubble of it, it shoved Koto out. The energy sizzled and swirled around ominously. "ENERGY PULSE!" Every drop of power I had in me was ripped out forcefully, filling the entire of the enclosed space. Risho cried out, his mixing with mine. I gritted my teeth as I forced more energy from my body. I had to win, for Hiei, for Kurama, for Kuwabara and for Genkai. As each name flashed across her thought, so did their images.

Hiei staring out the window, Kurama examining new seeds, Kuwabara getting doe-eyes at the thought of Yukina, Genkai kicking the crap out of me during training. As each memory was replaced, it flashed out in a white light. I blinked. Four more faces. One was around my age; he looked a lot like me in respects of hair and skin color. His eyes were a warm amber. He grinned cheekily. Another flash, this time I saw a kitsune, he had silver white hair that was about Koenma's length. His violet eyes were almost fatherly as he glanced at me. White scars marred his pale skin and defined features. Another man, in his early-thirties appeared, he had a coffee-colored complexion, and black, empty eyes that crinkled with laughter, bringing life to his otherwise emotionless face. I noticed he had no hair. And one last image flashed across my mind. He was in his late teens, he glanced at me, his hazel eyes masked but shone with respect. He had tan skin, blond hair, and an U.S. army hair cut. What the hell...?

"GRAAAAHH!" I suddenly felt new power running through me. I grinned at Risho. "SEE YOU IN HELL!" I shouted as the energy exploded, tearing Risho to pieces. I screamed as a new wave of pain flashed through me. My vision went red as I fell to the floor, blood gushing from the wounds all over my body.

Hiei's eyes widened. "YUSUKE!" He shouted, ripping completely through the force field. Ruka fell back and let the force field dissipate. Hiei ran past her, stopping only when Genkai grabbed his arm.

"Stop. The fight is still on."

I blinked and forced my battered body to stand. "Team Urameshi wins!" Koto shouted when she finished the ten count. I smiled wearily, and fell back, blood flying into the air. Hiei caught me before I hit the ground. His arms supporting me was the last thing I could recall before I slipped into the darkness of oblivion.

He lifted her and got her to the medical facilities for the fighters. The doctors ushered him into a room. He gently laid her on the bed.

Genkai followed and put a hand to Yusuke's forehead. "She needs energy…" She concentrated and forced her life-giving aura into her apprentice. The wounds healed. Genkai leaned against the wall. She felt so tired… She quickly went back to the hotel room before she collapsed as well.

Hiei sat beside Yusuke, then noticed the two unconscious demons she'd be sharing the room with. Touya and Jin. The latter opened his eyes and sat up… "Ah… My stomach…" He groaned, clutching the said part of his body.

"Consider yourself lucky. She missed your vitals intentionally." Hiei snapped.

Jin looked at him, then looked at the bed. "Oh hell." He looked back up at Hiei after looking at Yusuke's battered form for a moment. "How long have I been out?"

"Few minutes." Kurama answered, standing in the doorway.

"I take it Risho's dead?" They all glanced at Touya, who winced as he sat up.

"Yes." Kurama replied.

"Good riddance." The ice Shinobi remarked while glancing at Yusuke, silently thanking her.

"Would you guys keep it down?" I groaned, glaring at them. "I'm trying to sleep."

Jin bounded over. "Too bad. You aren't going to." He laughed, sitting at the edge of my bed. I glanced around. Not the cleanest place, considering it was a medical facility, but better than home. I stretched slightly, wincing as I felt a cut get reopened.

Kurama shook his head at Jin's antics, then after a moment of thought, grabbed Hiei's arm, dragging him from the room.

I raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off. Giving my attention back to Jin, I sat up and stretched a little. "How're you doing?"

"Good considering the dive I took into the stands." He grinned cheerfully.

I laughed and looked at the quiet ice master. "How about you, Touya?"

"Why did you block Risho's attack?"

Votes:

Hiei: 7

Jin: 3

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 7

If anyone wishes to change their vote, name who you originally voted for as well please. Thank you.


	14. Touchy Feely Crap

I grinned. "'Cause I felt like it. And you remind me of someone I used to know." I reclined against the bed and stared up at ceiling. He nodded, apparently satisfied with the answer, or knowing he wouldn't get anything else.

The silence was deafening.

Until, of course, Jin broke it.

"URAMESHI!" Crap. Kuwabara.

I cautiously glanced at the half-dead baka. "Yeah?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. How he managed to stand with those injuries was beyond me. Let alone walk unaided.

"YOU IDIOT! WERE YOU TRYING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED! I'M THE ONE WHO'S GOING TO PUT YOU DOWN! NOT ANY DEMON FREAKS!" I blinked. Once, twice.

"Um... Hello! I'm STILL ALIVE!" I shouted back.

"WHAT I HEARD FROM KURAMA, YOU COULD'VE DIED!" Who knew he cared this much?

"I DIED ONCE- ONCE AGAIN WON'T MATTER!" Tell me again, why am I having this shouting-match? I got a sweat drop.

"WHO SAYS YOU'D BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO LIFE!" He argued. Jin and Touya were looking on with sweat drops.

"WHO CARES! I'M STILL HERE! BUT WHAT IF IT WAS **_YOU_** WHO HAD FOUGHT! IF YOU HAD DIED! YOU HAVE A **_LIFE_** AT HOME! I KNOW WHO WOULD MISS ME IF I DIED! YOU HAVE MORE PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT YOU!" I lowered my voice with a sigh. "You have a family, Kuwabara, and more friends, and now that you study, you have a LIFE. I am a street punk that only five people will miss if I die. Well... that are human. And maybe five to six others." I looked at him, he looked taken aback. "You have goals, you want to win over somebody."

I almost snickered. Hiei and Kuwabara, brother-in-laws, now _that_ would be hilarious. Kuwabara would only live because if he were killed, Yukina would be heart-broken. I somehow managed to keep a straight face. I did not want to spoil the mood.

"As for me, the chances of me living to be older then thirty are slim, considering how many demons want me dead. Not mentioning the chances of me getting out of this Tournament alive are next to none. I have nothing at home. If I wasn't around, Ma might be able to find a decent man, as would 'Ko. You wouldn't be involved in Spirit World affairs anymore and could have a normal life. Takenaka would have one less pain in the ass to take care of, and Genkai will probably already be dead."

I gave him a moment to let this sink in.

I laughed bitterly. Then my eyes narrowed. We were being watched. "Well, now that all this touchy-feely crap is taken care of..." As I spoke, my hand slid slowly towards a _kunai_ knife. It slipped out of its wrap on my belt easily. "Show yourself." I ordered. No answer. "I said COME OUT." I snarled menacingly. There was a small poof and a cloud of smoke. A man stepped forward. My eyes widened. I had seen him before... Just before the Energy Pulse. "Kangae."

"Yurei'ha." He greeted me.

I nodded in greeting.

"Very well then." He leaned against the doorframe. A small smirk on his lips. "So you remember."

"A little."

He sighed. "I hoped you wouldn't, but this Tournament..."

I nodded. "So... Are they at the _Hakaba_?"

"Hey! What's going on here!" Kuwabara shouted. Obviously clueless to what was going on.

"Did you just call her... Yurei'ha?" Touya asked, his eyes questioning.

"Yeah, what of it?" Kangae asked, shrugging.

"_The_ Yurei'ha? The famous assassin, known for killing over seven hundred individual targets? Active from ages seven to thirteen?"

I laughed dryly. "I am flattered that you have heard of me."

"You WERE AN ASSASSIN!" Kuwabara stared at me.

I rolled my eyes. "Close your mouth. You are doing a very accurate impression of a fish." I glanced at Touya. "What of it?" He shivered slightly from my gaze. I had this effect on people.

But he apparently got over my unnerving gaze and his icy eyes met mine. "I want to know why you helped us. Yurei'ha _Shidosha_ was not known for mercy. Especially to enemies who would kill her without hesitation."

I smiled slightly. "You have nothing to fear from this _hitokiri_ if you leave my friends alone."

"That did not answer the question."

"I know. It was not meant to. It was meant to inform you of how not to piss me off."

"Aw, who cares!" Jin asked, standing up from his perch on the edge of my bed. I glanced at him. He grinned, I figured he couldn't take the seriousness anymore. "What's done is done!" I shrugged and glanced at Kangae.

"We'll talk later."

"_Hai_, _Shidosha_." He walked out of the room.

As soon as he had, it felt like a curtain had been lifted and the others started breathing a little easier. I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, they had reverted back to normal. "So, what now?" I asked cheerfully.

Kuwabara got a sweat drop. "Do you have a split personality or something...?"

I grinned and stood up. "Maybe." I slid my _kunai_ knife back into the wrap I had it in originally. "Maybe not." All signs of tenseness had left the room. I stretched and yawned. "I'm goin' outside for a walk."

"But-" I cut Kuwabara off before he could go on about how I should be in bed resting. Jeez. Well... At least he cares.

I put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "It's not like I'm going to get into a fight."

"Like hell you're not!" Kuwabara glared at me.

I laughed.

He sighed in resignation. "All right, but I want a full explanation when you get back."

I merely smirked and walked out the door.

"WAIT!" I stopped and glanced behind me as Jin caught up. He grinned lopsidedly, his left fang protruding over his lip. "I'm comin'."

I shrugged. "If you want." His grin widened.

As we walked along, he intertwined his fingers behind his head, and began to whistle cheerfully. I laughed slightly.

"So, Yurei'ha or Yusuke?" He yawned.

"Yusuke." I smiled sadly. "As far as I'm concerned, Yurei'ha is just a memory that had to resurface for me to survive. She died a year ago." He glanced at me and cocked his head to the side slightly, seeing the look of pain on my face. He looked thoughtful for a moment, and then grinned. Before I could react, he came behind me and pulled me into a close embrace as we rocketed up into the clear sky.

"WHA-!" I shouted, but the word was forced back into my throat with the force of the take off.

"JIN! NO! WAIT! JIN!" I shouted, but ended up laughing as we soared through the air. We slowed and stopped he inhaled deeply. I glanced down. The island... It looked so tranquil... Peaceful. You could see the forest, the waves crashing on the beach...

"This what you were looking at when we were fighting...?" I asked, lost in the sights.

"Yep." He grinned and sighed. "I had wanted to feel the wind in the big wide and open."

I glanced at him. "Sorry." By loosing, he had lost the island.

He suddenly cheered up. "Don' worry 'bout it, so I'd say! If I hadn't lost, I wouldn't be up 'ere with ya!" He grinned. I saw the mischievous gleam in his eyes. "HOLD ON!"

"**_JIN!_**" I shouted, startled, as we fell back to earth, completely uncontrolled. But I started laughing in the sheer exhilaration of the feeling of free falling not even a few seconds later. And the thing was, I enjoyed every minute of it. Well, I'll give the Wind Master one thing; he knows how to cheer me up.

Baka: idiot

'Ko: Keiko or Kayko, depending on whether you read the manga or watch the anime

_Kunai_: knife used by assassins or ninjas

Kangae: "mind" or "thought"

_Hakaba_: Literally 'graveyard'. Reference to where _hitokiri_ are buried. Each _Shuha_ has a specific area hidden for the purpose of burying their dead.

_Hitokiri_: assassin

_Shuha_: sect

Yurei'ha: Ghost Blade

_Hai_: yes

Votes:

Hiei: 7

Jin: 3

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 7


	15. Puu

Hiei walked down the hallway, eyes constantly searching for trouble. He stopped when he saw the five people approaching him. Team Uraotogi, their next opponents in the semi-finals. It just figured that they had them fight twice in a row just to get them worn out. The magenta-eyed, azure-haired leader stepped forward. "I do hope you don't plan on stealing the show tomorrow."

Hiei smirked and decided to take a leaf out of Yusuke's book. "If you want popularity, start a boy band. You already have the look down."

Hiei watched, unimpressed by the demons true form when he snarled at him before walking past him, the rest of his team followed. The old man glanced at him, then followed. Hiei smirked. "Heh, so he riles easily..." He continued walking up towards the hotel, he had heard what that "Kangae" had said about Yusuke being "Yurei'ha" and it did clear up a lot of questions, but... Yusuke killing someone in cold blood for money... It just didn't seem right.

"DAMMIT! Don't DO that!" I shouted at Jin after we landed. He merely grinned.

"C'mon. Ya liked it. Admit it."

"Shut up." I groaned half-heartedly.

He just laughed.

Rolling my eyes, I glanced up at the sky. The sun was just about to set. "I should head back..."

He pouted. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. He looked like a child... "Do ya 'ave ta go?" He asked, giving me the puppy-dog eyes.

"I owe my team an explanation. If I don't get to the room by sundown, they will come after me." I smiled slightly at the crest-fallen look on his face. "But if it makes you feel any better..." I paused, then decided there was no reason not to. "If you ever come to the human world, you can stay with me."

His eyes lit up. "I'll 'old ya to tha'."

I smirked. "I'll be countin' on that." I turned and began to walk back to the hotel. After a few steps, I paused and glanced back. Giving him a small wave and a grin, I turned around again and walked the rest of the way back.

When I entered the hotel room, everyone was assembled. As soon as I quietly shut the door, everyone looked straight at me. "Yo." I sat down between Hiei and Kurama. Kangae nodded from his usual spot by the window. "I suppose you want to know what's going on...?" I asked cautiously, unsure of how to proceed.

"Yurei'ha, huh?" Kuwabara glanced at me. "You were the last person I would've thought was an assassin."

I shrugged. "I needed money, they had that. They needed another _hitokiri_, I was willing to compromise."

Hiei smirked. "That would explain the _Inazuma-ha Ito Gijutsu."_

I smiled slightly, not much heart in it. "But other than techniques and knowing Kangae and the name Yurei'ha, I do not remember much else, just vague images." I stood and walked over to the open window. My hair, which had gotten loose during my flight with Jin, blew back. "I want to remember, but I know I am not ready. Not quite yet." I glanced at Kangae. "Though I know someone who can help me remember when I am, if they do not resurface before." I glanced at the others, Genkai remained unreadable. Her apprentice being a former assassin was probably a bit of a shock. I sighed.

"Yusuke!" I groaned when I heard Botan's singsong voice through the doors and began to frantically look around for a place to hide, but before I could, she burst into the room, a huge smile on her face. Damn.

"Yusuke! Koenma wishes to see you!" She, before I could protest, grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me from the room. Shit, fuck, _and_ damn.

Following the sugar-high Grim Reaper though the forest, I couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive. I assumed this was because my Spirit Beast was about to hatch. And if was a devil... That would not be good, to say the least. I wouldn't need to wait for Toguro to kill me.

She led me to a clearing paused, looking around. "Hello, Koenma." I remarked coolly when I heard a slight rustling sound behind me.

"WHA! I ALWAYS surprise you!" Koenma shouted in shock.

I shrugged. "Whatever. What did you want to see me for?"

"This." Koenma pulled out the egg he had given me while I was a ghost.

"Sure has grown." I remarked, it was triple its original size.

"Yes, it has been feeding off of your Spirit Energy for over a few months now, and is ready to hatch."

"So we have no clue of how it will turn out?" I asked, eyeing it.

"None." Botan replied.

I looked at the egg nervously, if it was a devil, I would be a quick snack.

Koenma watched her closely. She knew what would happen, and he fervently hoped it wouldn't, she was more than an employee to him. She was a friend, the only person who had argued with him, showed him disrespect in hundreds of years that wasn't family.

Lighting flashed. Clouds billowed across the sky. The egg shook. Lighting struck, the egg cracked open. I stared at the egg in the seconds as it cracked open and a golden flash rocketed up towards the sky. I looked around wildly after the flash subsided. "Where is it?" Koenma looked around as well, eyes searching.

Suddenly, Botan burst out laughing. Koenma got a questioning look, then he glanced up towards my head, looked stunned for a second, then burst out laughing.

"What?" I asked, getting pissed. Koenma and Botan just continued laughing.

"When I see you, I imagined scales and fangs, but cute and furry is another way to go!" Botan laughed. Thinking it couldn't be as stupid as they thought, I looked up and groaned.

In the hotel an hour later, Shizuru, Kuwabara, Keiko, and Botan burst out laughing. Kurama snickered, and Hiei smirked. I gritted my teeth. This fluffy blue bird thing with was humiliating, considering it was a reflection of her inner soul. "It's so adorable!" Keiko (Kayko) tickled it. I glanced at the elegant phoenix/peacock like thing. Better than some other stuff, but still it was... Disgustingly cute.

"Puu!" It squeaked.

"Aw, it's so cute!" Kuwabara laughed, pinching my cheek. I growled. "The famous assassin Yurei'ha has a inner soul that looks like an adorable plushie!"

Botan quickly stood, for she knew if she wanted to leave in one piece, she'd have to leave now. "Well, look at the time. We should go to bed."

"Yeah, time flies when you're mocking Yusuke mercilessly." Shizuru remarked calmly.

I got an anime vein. As they got to the door, Shizuru, Kuwabara and Keiko burst out laughing.

I lunged, hissing; "I'll show you cute! I'LL SHOW YOU CUTE UNTIL YOUR BLACK AND BLUE ALL OVER!" as I ran after them, fists ready to pound the crap out of Kuwabara.

The next morning, I left early to watch the matches, knowing Kuwabara would take forever. Nice guy, but he needed to get a brain. Not to mention some fighting skills. I watched the old guy, Onji easily defeat the others. He was no old fogey, that was for sure. I looked closer. Yes, it was a mask, a very good one. Who ever he really was, he was good at disguises. My ears pricked up at the sound of "Shishiwakamaru" and Koto talking.

"Do you think there will be any challenge from Team Urameshi?" Koto asked, genuinely curious.

"Heh. No one is a challenge until the finals." He looked straight at me. "No one."

"Pretty arrogant, seeing how you haven't fought me yet..." I whispered, raising an eyebrow. I was going to take him _down_.

I glanced up as the others came. "The fight's over, Kuwabara."

"What! IT TOOK JUST FIVE MINUTES THAT I USED TO BRUSH MY TEETH!"

"Yes, but I'm sure your minty fresh breath was well worth it." Hiei muttered sarcastically. He then glanced up at me. "And Yusuke, what is that _thing_ on your head?"

"Don't ask." I replied dryly.

He let it drop. Then got tense and a sweat drop when I heard Kuwabara mutter, "Huh, wonder if Yukina's brother is here? She heard he might, but when this is over I'm goin' to help her look for him."

"Excellent idea." Kurama snickered. Then added seriously. "Maybe we all should help her, Hiei?"

Hiei growled, eye twitching. "Huh? What's goin' on? Hey!" Kuwabara glanced back and forth between us, completely and utterly clueless.

"Yeah, we'll help her look." I glanced at Hiei with a look that added "'cause if you don't tell her, I will".

I started shaking when I felt Toguro's eyes on me, seconds before the spectators noticed they were there. I clenched my fists. Energy tore from my body in a tornado of power. My eyes met Toguro; he pointed at me, then at himself, clearly meaning "you and me. A fight to the death." I nodded tersely. He smiled and walked back into the back, disappearing in a cloud of black smoke. I was not even aware of the energy I was creating until I saw it.

"Crap. "I took a deep breath and reabsorbed it.

"You put on a really good show."

"Hey, I take a lot of pride in it." I muttered.

Genkai shrugged. "Follow me." I glanced at the others. "See ya later." So, this was it... I turned and followed my _sensei_ out of the stadium.

Kangae: "Thoughts" or "mind"

Yurei'ha: Ghost Blade

_Hitokiri_: assassin

_Sensei_: teacher

Votes:

Hiei: 7

Jin: 4

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 8


	16. Spirit Wave Orb

Genkai and I stood next to a river. "Fire your Spirit Gun." I raised an eyebrow, but I did as I was told, it leveled a medium-sized boulder. Genkai rolled her eyes. She powered up her Spirit Energy. "YAH!" She fired; it blew straight through a mountain.

"Okay, you're a great lawn mower." I stared. Damn. I knew I had a long way to go until I was at her level of power, but still... _Damn_.

"Shut up, I know your half-assed jokes are your way of admitting I'm stronger than you." She evaluated the damage. Then she sighed and walked back towards the river, her back to me. She gazed out over the water. "I am old, Yusuke. There was a time when that blast would have gone on for miles." She smiled at a memory. "I never had any desire for heroics, all I had was the sense my power should always exist." She looked at me. "Let the next dimwit do something noble with it. Who knows, maybe that dimwit is you. You can have this power for yourself." It started to sprinkle. And I shivered.

"How?" I asked warily.

"You have to kill me." Her face was completely expressionless.

"WHAT!" I shouted.

"Meet me at the entrance to that cave when you decide." She left before I could utter another word.

She turned and walked into the mist that now shrouded the entrance. I clenched my fists, how could I do that?

A few hours later I entered the cave, although my decision had been made seconds after Genkai left. "Made up your mind?"

"I can't do it, you're my teacher." I glanced at the ground. "True, once in a while I entertained the idea, but I never could do that."

I heard her chuckle. "You pass. I wanted my heir to be loyal enough not to actually do the deed, but not immediately reject the idea." I rolled my eyes, typical Genkai, then followed my sensei into the darkness of the cave. She drew out an orb of blue light from her body. "I put my body through hell to make it strong enough for this. It's the Spirit Wave Orb, it's a part of me and yet separate from me. And is capable of powering a whole city block. Only the true successor to the Spirit Wave can absorb it into her body. This process could go on for hours or even days, and if you give into the pain, you will only wish for a quicker death. That is your test." She handed it to me, I put into my own body for absorption and braced myself for the pain that was sure to come, but I was still completely unprepared for what came next.

"PUU! PUU!"

Keiko set down her apple juice and cradled the cute Spirit Beast, who was crying out in pain. "Puu? What's going on?" Koenma glanced at the Spirit Beast and shook his head.

I lay on the ground, panting, blood pouring form wounds all over my body. I cried out in pain, clutching my various wounds, eyes glazed and unfocused with pain.

"Yusuke, what have I done?" Genkai slowly approached and drew out the orb from my body. As soon as she did, I slowly relaxed and returned to my normal temperature.

"GIVE THAT BACK YOU OLD BITCH!" My eyes snapped open as I shouted this.

"You can't handle anymore. It was a gamble to begin with and now you know why." Genkai protested, her voice hard.

I snarled. "SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS! YOU'RE NOT MY FREAKIN' MOTHER! SO DON'T TRY TO TELL ME WHAT'S GOOD FOR ME!" I grabbed the orb from Genkai and shoved it back into my body. Immediately, blood flew from me as I screamed out in pain.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that." Genkai stood, admiration and desperation in her eyes.

Unable to stand her apprentice's pain any longer, she walked out of the cave as she whispered, "I'm sorry, Yusuke. There's nothing else I can do."

I lay on the hard rock, burning up, screaming at the constant agony. But I had to do this, or else Hiei, Kurama, and the others were dead…

After the others left, Keiko gently set Puu down. If that was a reflection of Yusuke's inner soul, did that mean she was in pain…? Shaking it off, she went to bed.

"Urameshi and the Masked Fighter have been gone for a long time." Kuwabara muttered, laying down his hand. Hiei removed the cloth covering his Jagan. Peering around the island, he forced himself to remain calm at the sight. What the hell did that bitch do to Yusuke!

"Yes…" Kurama agreed, laying his hand down. "Royal Flush."

"WHAT!" Kuwabara shouted, leaping to his feet.

"Looks like you guys are working hard." Shizuru remarked lightly, leaning in the doorway.

"We're having serious conversation here!" Kuwabara shouted.

"Yeah, uh-huh." She sat down across from her brother. "Deal me in." Kurama shuffled the deck.

Hiei stared out the window and into the stormy night. Yusuke…

He caught Kurama's eyes who saw the anger in his own. Realization hit him. But as Kuwabara began to make some comment, he forced himself to smile and nod.

The next morning, Hiei, Kurama and Kuwabara walked toward the newly constructed stadium. "Where is Urameshi?" Kuwabara grumbled.

Hiei shivered. He didn't want to know. "She and the Masker Fighter are not going to make it. We'll have to deal with them on our own. So you pull your own weight from now on." He hissed irritably as they entered the stadium.

Genkai sat at the cave's entrance. 'After all these years, trying to find the perfect student… What the HELL have I done?'

I lay in immense pain; I closed my eyes, sharp spasms of pain shooting through my body. "DAMN IT! I'M NOT GOING TO DIE!" I staggered to my feet as I looked up at the ceiling, I could not, would not, die.

Jin glanced down at the ring and groaned. He couldn't concentrate on the fights. "Hey, Touya."

"Hm?" The ice demon looked away from the arena and glanced at his friend.

"Yusuke is not there."

"What about it?" He asked, though he had an idea of what his friend wanted to do.

"I'm goin'." He said as he stood.

Touya looked back at him. "Where?" Though he already knew the answer.

"To look for her. Where else?"

Touya stood up as well. "I come with, then."

"Whoa, wait up drongo!" Chu and Rinku quickly got up and followed them out of the stadium.

"Um, guys? Puu doesn't look so good."

"Hm?" Botan turned around.

"Looks like she's in pain." Keiko gently stroked the Spirit Beast's fur.

"Puu…" She looked up to the sky. "PUU!" She broke free of Keiko's grip and unsteadily flew on. Coming to the cave, she flew over to Yusuke.

I closed my eyes. It hurt so badly… I felt a drop of water on my face. Damn, just a drop made me feel like I was drowning in it… I opened my eyes. "Puu…?"

I watched through glazed eyes as the little Spirit Beast bashed herself into the stalactites "That… Little IDIOT…" She quickly caught the drops and landed. Waddling over to her, carefully holding the drops. She tripped and looked disheartened for a moment. Then looking determined, she flew into the air again. Tears ran down my face, she as in as much pain as I was, and yet… I looked up as she saw and heard the stalactites shake and their bases crumble. Puu collapsed, just beneath one. It fell. "SCREW THIS TEST; I'M GETTING US OUT OF HERE!" I cried out in pain as the Orb completely absorbed into me and ran towards her and smashed the rock to pieces. "GRAAH!" I covered her with my own body, deflecting debris.

Genkai looked up and smiled as she saw me stumble out of the cave. "Hey Genkai. Could you look after this guy for me?" I asked wearily.

"Anything you want, Yusuke. You've completed your training under me." She replied, taking the unconscious Spirit Beast from my arms.

"Nice…" I whispered as I fell.

Genkai propped her up against a tree. "Rest, Yusuke." She set Puu next to her. She got up and watched her student for a moment. 'I guess I really owe Koenma one for getting you here. You really saved our little idiot, didn't you? I was afraid that my impatience had killed my favorite dimwit.' She smiled and stood. 'The last chapter starts.' She smiled at Yusuke. 'You have to face Toguro in the end, I'll make sure your team gets that far."

Votes:

Hiei: 8

Jin: 4

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 8

I apologize if this chapter seems somewhat boring and badly written. It is one of those chapters that has little action in hit but a lot of important things said and done. I'll make it up to you guys (hopefully tomorrow) when I update. I'll make the next chapter a bit longer.

Puu, in this fic, is more of a phoenix/peacock Spirit Beast instead of a penguin. This is due to Yusuke once being an assassin. To get an idea of what Puu looks like, think of the phoenix the original Yusuke creates when he unleashes his energy in the fight with Toguro in the anime. It is also approximately the same shade of blue as the original Puu.


	17. Semi Finals

Hiei quickly bandaged his arm, his first fight was not worth mentioning, and his second… well, he had underestimated his opponent to his cost, and was forced to unveil more of his techniques. The samurai stepped forward and rolled the dice. He smiled, as he angered Kuwabara who fell for it and stepped into the ring.

Shishiwakamaru smiled, this was going to be easy. Waving at his fans, he removed his cape and easily dodged the human's attacks. Using his head as a trampoline, he leapt into the air and let his cape fall. It swallowed the human. Juri, the new announcer, looked around nervously, unsure of how to call the match, and muttering such to herself. "He's not here. But where I do not know or care to, you'll have to ask the Cape of No Return for such trivial details." He rolled the dice again.

"Shishiwakamaru and the Masked Fighter." Hiei was about to step forward when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around. It couldn't be her; her aura was much less and…

"This is my fight." She stepped forward and onto the ring.

And that wasn't her voice.

"Begin!"

Shishiwakamaru charged. "Let's see what you look like beneath the mask! Your elusive identity is taking the spotlight!"

Genkai gritted her teeth, he was lightning quick. She couldn't dodge and her mask was ripped off. "Damn." She whispered.

"The Masked Fighter is… An old woman?"

"GENKAI!" She turned slightly towards the voice, it couldn't be… But it was.

"Yusuke, you should be resting."

"And miss the chance to see my sensei get her ass kicked? Fat chance." She laughed. Hiei looked at her. So she had been absorbing her teacher's energy. That was the only explanation for the new strength surrounding her.

Touya, Jin, Chu and Rinku had walked towards the scent of blood. It was human. They came to a clearing and there lay Yusuke, asleep. Chu leaned over her. "Well, it seems our fighter's gotten a tad bit stronger."

"How much is a tad?" Rinku asked.

Yusuke opened an eye. "Can you…. Get me to the stadium?"

Touya and Jin pulled her to her feet. "Of course." She leaned heavily on Jin.

"Uh… Man, I feel so sore…" She groaned.

"What happened to you, lady?" Rinku asked, looking at the dried up blood on her body.

"Training." She replied, laughing slightly.

"C'mon, the semifinals have already started." Jin shouted at Chu and Rinku as they half carried, half dragged Yusuke.

At the entrance to the arena, she smiled. "Thanks guys." She stood unsteadily for a moment, and then walked off. They watched her go.

"Was it wise to bring her here? She'll have to fight if her name's rolled." Touya sighed.

"We owe her. It might not have been the wisest thing to do, but if we didn't she'd have kicked our asses into the ground. Even in the tired state she is in now." Chu turned around. "C'mon, let's go watch. I don't wanna miss a thing if she fights."

"Did she say Genkai?" Koto asked from her announcer's box.

"Yes, she did." Koto looked up at Toguro. "The human body does a remarkable thing when it uses Spirit Energy. The cells revert back to when they were at their strongest, turning the user back to the age that was their prime. So that would be how the old woman you see before you could sound like a younger woman. It's been a while, hasn't it, Genkai?"

The psychic didn't reply, but looked back at Shishiwakamaru, who started laughing. "I'll be famous sooner than I anticipated. In killing the famous Genkai I'll adopt her repute, fate is definitely smiling on me today." He grabbed his sword and extended it. Drawing a half-circle around him, he began to twirl it in his hand as well as any band majorette.

'Show off.' Genkai thought, blocking out the sound.

Yusuke watched Toguro with narrowed eyes. He glanced at her. Hiei looked at Yusuke in surprise as a large amount of energy discharged from her. All this power had been in Genkai…? Toguro looked away and walked off. They both turned towards the fight. Hiei winced slightly at the sound; it was like the sound of the real Grim Reaper's scythe, not that peppy ferry girl. And that sound was capable of stealing the souls of lower-class demons.

Toguro walked back over to his team. "Genkai, her Spirit Energy barely registers up here. That girl on the other hand…" He nodded towards Yusuke. "Her power has increased dramatically."

"What was once the master's is now the student's."

Karasu looked at him, face expressionless. "Cryptic as always. But she's not worthy of her legend."

"Let's review your opinion after the fight."

"CHORUS OF A THOUSAND SKULLS!" The demon souls burst into the audience, ripping the heads off the less powerful ones. Two sped straight towards Team Urameshi's backs. They cried out as they crashed into a barrier of Spirit Energy. Hiei glanced at Yusuke in slight surprise. Her attention was fixed on the ring. She suddenly smiled. Hiei raised an eyebrow, what was she so happy about? That attack would've killed her master.

"Now that you have witnessed the greatest amount of power ever unleashed in the Dark Tournament no one will ever forget the famous Shishiwakamaru." He swung the blade so it was in front of him. "And because I defeated Genkai I adopted her repute, boosting my status as a living legend. I only wish that Genkai had been stronger so I could've shown more of my power."

Juri looked at the huge crater in the center of the ring. "That… That is where I was standing…"

"I know how you feel, little girl, that could've been me, too."

"WHAT!" Shishi whipped around. "I am amazed that you survived the sound alone, but dodging my attack…"

"Yes, I must've forgotten to turn my hearing aid on. When you get to be an old fogey like me, the first thing to go is the memory." She smirked.

"Shut up! I will not be insulted on my stage!" His horns grew and his fangs lengthened. He charged, blade in hand. She grabbed his blade, stealing much needed energy from him. "YOU again!" Shishiwakamaru's eyes widened at the sight of Genkai's younger self.

"SPIRIT REFLECTION BLAST!" She sent the energy straight at him, he flew back.

He struggled to his hands and knees while hissing," Third-rate thief…"

"Yes, well, I needed energy so I borrowed some of yours; after all, I AM a very busy old lady." Genkai snorted.

"That energy was mine… And it was supposed to help me achieve my greatness! Do you know what I was supposed to become! You justice-seeking hounds are only crowding the room!" He collapsed back to the floor, shouting this.

"What makes you think I fight for justice?" Genkai asked, raising and eyebrow.

"Any demon here who cares one inkling for history could name hundreds of reasons!" He somehow managed to get to his feet. "Chorus of… The Thousand Skulls…" The skulls shot from the blade.

"Hmph!" Genkai crossed her wrists and snapped them apart, making a shield of energy, destroying the skulls. He charged again. "Spirit Reflection Blast." She shot his own energy back at him again.

He fell on his back and looked up at her. "Cheating… Thief… You… Really don't fight for justice, do you?"

"No, I fight for myself and always have. I attack anyone who stands in my way and it happens most of those people were demons." She retorted.

"I… Think I might have fallen in love… If circumstances had been different and you looked like this all the time… We could've been together once…" He looked at her, then at Yusuke. "Or with her." His head fell back. I groaned. Now I really wish I had been the one to fight that pompous samurai.

"Aren't I a lucky one?" Genkai asked sarcastically as she was declared the winner. Leaving the ring, she walked over to me. She smiled tiredly at and I returned it. We all turned around at the sound of laughter.

"Mind if I give your die a solo role? Mine kind of lacks the suspense." He threw it. And glanced at it as it hit the ground. "That's interesting."

"It calls for Kuwabara, but the poor guy's lost in another dimension. Let's roll again!" Juri enthusiastically shouted.

"That's what you think!" We all turned around, again.

Shizuru, Botan, Keiko, and Yukina walked towards the new stadium, and they heard Kuwabara's voice over the loud speakers. "Damn it! If he's to do something stupid, at least don't use the family name!" Shizuru groaned, running towards it. Botan snickered as the rest followed.

And a few moments later, Hiei watched and groaned, "He WALKED right into that trap." As Kuwabara was dragged into the portal again, Onji grabbed the die and rolled it. Genkai's pseudonym came up.

I sighed. Looks like I wouldn't fight after all, though seeing how well this guy hid himself behind that disguise, this fight might've have been interesting, had I been called to fight, but I doubt it. I would've liked to have been the one to deflate that Shishi's gigantic ego.

Onji looked at the Genkai, who glared at him. "Well, take off that disguise, I know that's not who you really are."

He laughed, then got serious. "Very perceptive, as is your apprentice." He was surrounded by a rainbow of colors, and when it vanished it revealed a literal clown. "In truth, I hate old people. That's why I took the guise of one."

Genkai glanced up at the sky in despair after a few minutes of hearing this guy's drivel. This guy liked to talk more than the other one. And the other one had been an egomaniac. She rolled her eyes and waited for him to stop speaking.

That was just enough time to dodge his "rainbow cyclone" attack and steal his precious nose. And after which, she tossed it to the ground after hearing his whining about losing it. "Okay, Suzuka, (She'd paid a little attention) admittedly you have talent. You know more about charmed objects than anyone else I've ever met. You found items that suited lower class demons enough to get them to the semifinals, but you are like a souped up car. You are all appearance, like a car without an engine. And here you are whining about some nasal accessory when I put my body through HELL to make it strong enough for my Spirit Wave Orb, so I won't waste what little Spirit Energy I have left on you!"

"You won't use Spirit Energy? Then neither will I!" His clown suit ripped at the shirt, revealing expanding muscles. "Toguro's got nothing on me!"

"Featherweight." Toguro smirked.

Kuwabara came running in. "Where's the old guy? I'm not done yet." He panted.

"So, tell me, what's more embarrassing? Losing to an old man? Or to a clown?" Hiei asked, holding in a laugh.

"A clown, definitely a clown." I burst out laughing at his response and had to lean on Hiei to keep from falling over.

Genkai rolled her eyes again at his antics, then attacked. After she beat the crap out of him, she stood back. "That's enough. Oh, and I forgot to look at that so-called beautiful face of his." She had to hold back laughing at the sight of all the bruises and disfigurations. He fell over after much stumbling and she was declared the winner. Dismounting the ring, she walked over to our team.

"Had fun?" I asked, still laughing. Genkai smiled and nodded.

The next morning, Hiei went into the room the two humans shared to check on Yusuke. He sat down beside her. Hesitantly, he softly brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. Abruptly turning, he left and closed the door behind him. He glanced at Genkai and Kuwabara talking but ignored it and went to the cliffs to train. "Wait." He turned to face the aging woman. "I need to talk to you for a moment." He nodded and followed her to the edge of the forest. "Yusuke loves you. Please, take care of her." He looked at her questioningly, but she walked into the woods. Shrugging it off, Hiei went to his destination.

Genkai walked through the woods, it was time. She smiled at the memory of seeing Yusuke sleeping against the tree. She had helped an old lady rid herself of regrets so she could die in peace.

A few hours later...

Kurama watched the seeds blow out of his hand sadly. Maybe he should've disobeyed Genkai as Hiei did. The fight had been very humbling, to say the least. Kuwabara came up to him. "Where's Urameshi?"

"I don't know."

"Darn it, she ran out of the room so fast… Do you think she'd tell me if she was avoiding me?"

Kurama looked up at the sound of rustling in the bushes. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

A man with blond hair and green eyes came out from the under growth, he had bandages all around him. "Just the two guys I wanted to see, lucky me."

"And who are you?" Kurama asked.

Votes:

Hiei: 8

Jin: 4

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 8

I made it longer, just as I promised. I'll get to more action later; I want to get to the finals A.S.A.P. I hope you guys under stand. Thank you.


	18. The Death of Genkai

Don't you recognize the Beautiful Suzuka?"

"Hey, you mean the I-got-my-face-turned-into-pudding Suzuka? Yeah, I remember you. Nice clown suit." Kuwabara laughed.

"Shut up simple human."

"So, why are you here?" Kurama interrupted before Kuwabara could insult the demon any further.

"To give you these." He handed a sword hilt to Kuwabara and a bottle with a fruit in it to Kurama. "These are the starting points of two items I gave to members of my own team. That bottle holds the Fruit of the Previous Life, hand picked from the upper realms of the Spirit World. From it Ura derived the smoke from his Idunn Box. It should produce the same dreamy effect that turns you into your demon form. And that…" He nodded towards the sword hilt. "Is the Trial Sword. Carved from a Japanese Cedar that sucked up all the surrounding life. For Shishiwakamaru, it became the Banshee Shriek. But for you, it should be quite different, and probably without the demons." He looked them straight in the eye. "And if you give me the grace of having a few more words, I'll give you a warning. That battle was the first time those items were used, even I cannot tell what side effects the items could have upon their user. It's up to you to use the help or not." He began to walk away.

"Why would you want to help us?" Kurama asked, genuinely curious.

He stopped, but did not turn to face him. "I dislike you, but I hate Toguro. It took only three percent of his repulsive strength to make a fool out of me. I was young and hadn't realized my greatness couldn't get me all that I wanted. I fell to pieces at his feet, begging for my life. 'I only kill the worthy and job assignments. You're neither. So run along.' Was what he said to me. After that day I changed my appearance, and gathered every enchanted item I could get my hands on. I even made a tournament team and entered, but I was defeated by you before I could even reach him." He smiled sadly. "So I see that it wasn't meant to be, but if I can't beat him, I want my items to help!" He turned to them, his eyes passionate. "I want you to change his mind, show him that under dogs CAN win." He looked at them fiercely. "And tell your leader, Urameshi, some advice. Toguro will toy with her in the beginning to test her. Have her use that." He walked off.

Kurama watched him go; he definitely changed his opinion of Suzuka. He wasn't as much as a clown as he thought.

"GENKAI!" I bolted up in bed then ran over to Kuwabara. "Where is she?'

"She went out a while ago."

"Dammit!" I groaned and ran to the forest. I ran as fast as I could, but it was too late. I came in time to see Toguro throw my sensei's body to the ground. "GENKAI!" I sank to my master's side. Gently lifting her, I saw she was still breathing.

"Hey… Dimwit…" I checked the wound; she didn't have much time left. "Yusuke, you have to listen." I nodded; tears running down my face, I knew denying that she was dying would be useless now. "Toguro, fifty years ago when we won the Dark Tournament, he had the committee turn him into a demon of the highest class. He had forsaken his friends so he could keep his precious strength. No human is a one-man show Yusuke. You affect the countless people that care about you in hundreds of ways everyday. You can't be a cocky kid anymore, you have to…" I clenched my dying teacher's hand as she let out her last breath. I stood, lifting Genkai's body.

Hiei looked up. That energy that disappeared… That was…

Kurama froze. Was it possible…?

Botan stared out the window, tears falling from her cheeks.

Koenma dropped his knife and fork. "It's Genkai…" He whispered.

With my back to Toguro, I spoke. "We will fight in the final match, Toguro. And know that I will kill you for this." I glared behind me, my eyes blood red, he smirked. I snarled silently and walked away.

And a few minutes later... "Hey, Koenma."

The young god was startled. "How did you…? Never mind…"

"I want you to give her a decent burial." I handed Genkai's body to my boss. "I need to go think things over." Koenma nodded. I walked back towards the cave, tears still streaming down my face. I sat down just outside and looked inside, thinking, remembering. A few hours later, after the sun had set, Koenma gave back. "There was nothing I could've done, was there?"

"No, that conflict had started before your mother was born. A girl and her role model from allies to deadly enemies, on a crash course for life. There was nothing you could've done to stop it." I smiled and brushed the tears off my face. I leapt to my feet and flipped away from the cave. Koenma glanced at me. "She left a message for you: Kick his ass."

Laughing, I charged up my Spirit Gun. "I've got a message for her, too." I aimed towards the sky; the force of my concentrated energy caused the wind to whip around me. "It's a sample of the energy you gave me, my way of saying I understand. SPIRIT GUN!" The blast shot upward, a pillar of blue light in the clear night.

Hiei looked up at the column of energy. "Such power…" He whispered, eyes wide.

Kurama looked up in slight shock, then smiled.

Kuwabara was stupefied.

Suzuka gasped. "That's Urameshi? Incredible! She might just beat him!"

Jin, Touya, Chu and Rinku looked out the window. "That's Yusuke?" Rinku asked, eyes wide.

Jin laughed. "Her wind, even from in here, is WILD!"

Touya stared at the pillar of light. "A 'tad'?" He asked Chu, who just grinned.

Hiei went to the sight of the battle. He watched what had happened with his Jagan in horror. Shaking his head, he leapt into the air and punched down. Landing, he compared it to what Toguro had done. "If that's the best I can do, I should just get a new arm." He muttered. "He's a monster."

I closed my eyes and concentrated my aura into a tight bubble around me. I brought it back in and turned around to face Kuwabara, who was obviously wondering how I could so powerful. "You going to say something or just stare?" I asked, annoyed.

"You shouldn't speak like that to someone who holds the most powerful sword in the world in their hands!" He waved around a sword hilt.

"Is it possible that you could shut up?" Hiei walked out of the darkness, his eyes a glowing light red.

"Hey, Hiei." I glanced at him.

"Whoa! What happened to your arm!" Kuwabara asked.

"It wouldn't obey when I gave it a specific command and I decided it needed to be punished."

I kept my face blank, but Kuwabara laughed.

'He's weird.' Was obviously what he was thinking. "Okay, too much information for me. Let's stick to something safe, like where's Kurama?"

"I've been next to you for quite some time now, Kuwabara." Kurama remarked quietly. I smirked. I almost hadn't noticed him.

He got a sweat drop and turned around. 'Whoa, I couldn't even feel his Spirit Energy!' "So, we're all here except for the Masked Lady. Where is she?"

Kurama and Hiei glanced at me. I looked away from them and stared out over the ocean. "She's not coming. She isn't here anymore."

"What? How is that possible?" Kuwabara asked, nearly shouting.

"Toguro…. Well, he…" My voice broke. "Damn it!" I punched the cliff's face, it crumbled and collapsed, we all had to jump back. "Sorry." I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. "He… Killed her…"

Kuwabara started laughing. "You're joking, right?" He asked, looking around a little wildly. "RIGHT!"

I looked away, still crying, then got in his face. "IF SHE WASN'T DO YOU THINK I, YUSUKE URAMESHI, WOULD BE CRYING!" I shouted back, held back sobs shaking my body. I shook my head at his stupidity and jumped up the cliff and ran into the hotel.

"Be thankful she COULD tell you, baka." Hiei watched her go. "She's almost in what you could call denial." He glanced at the cliff surface and compared it to what Toguro had punched. Hers was slightly bigger. Barely. Maybe she stood a chance. Maybe.

Sensei: teacher

Baka: idiot

Votes:

Hiei: 8

Jin: 4

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 9


	19. Yoko Kurama

The next morning, I changed into a pair of blue loose martial arts pants. Pulling on a white tank top, I put on my green wristbands over my Spirit Cuffs and slipped on my fighting shoes. I loosely tied on my _hitokiri_ utility belt. Tying my hair back after I quickly brushed it, I got up before the sun rose and left. Sitting on the top of one of the cliffs in the center of the island, I watched the sun rise. Hiei sat beside me. His right arm completely bandaged. I glanced at it; I couldn't sense any aura coming from it. That was its purpose, apparently. "So, what are our chances, do you think?" I asked, watching the blood-red sun.

"Couldn't say."

"That's reassuring. So, how's the arm? I take its better, but…"

"It'll suffice."

I nodded and leaned back. "Scared?"

"No. You?"

"Not really."

"You ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." I stood and helped him up. "Let's go." Meeting up with Kuwabara and Kurama at the lobby, we walked back to the stadium. "I got a replacement." I glanced at the sky.

"Who?"

"You'll see. We'll meet him at the gate." We came to the gate. Kuwabara looked nervous, Hiei looked as he always did, and Kurama looked slightly unnerved. I looked up as Koenma came. "For once, you're on time."

"Quiet, Yusuke. I don't have to be here."

"And as soon as the going gets tough, you'll be out of here." He shrugged.

"True." Kuwabara fell to the floor. We entered the stadium to the sound of a tidal wave of boos. Not too surprising. The others and I came to the edge of the ring. Toguro's team entered to the sound of cheering. I glared at Toguro; he just looked at me, then behind me, at my team. He smirked. I flipped him off.

The guy with the long hair, Karasu, stepped forward, as did Kurama. "This one's mine."

I nodded and smiled. "Kick his ass." Kuwabara leaned toward him. They talked for a second, and Kurama went to the ring. I distinctly heard the word "potion" and "transformation". Did Kurama find something that made him turn into Yoko Kurama? One could only hope.

"Begin!"

Kurama looked at Karasu. "I advise you not to underestimate me." He didn't reply. Kurama brought out a handful of rose petals. They flew into the air. Karasu walked towards him. A petal sliced his cheek. They suddenly started exploding. Kurama had to hold him off until the metamorphosis, for Karasu was faster and stronger currently.

I watched Kurama. There was another aura there, stronger. His true form's maybe? "KURAMA!" I shouted as a stick of dynamite landed by him. I saw and felt the aura and gasped. It was pure Kurama, all of it. As it cleared, I saw a kitsune. He had long silver hair, tail, and white garments. "Yoko Kurama." I whispered.

Hiei glanced at her. "You know of the King of Thieves?"

"Genkai told me some." I replied. "As did Kangae. This will be interesting." I watched the fox dodge all the little green bombs, but he was completely surrounded.

"I thought you'd know better than to corner an animal like a fox, Karasu. We have a tendency to show our teeth." He summoned the plant. I froze as the Oujigi plant grew from Kurama's energy. I glanced at the plant and saw the sensors on its surface. So it sensed movement and attacked, a bit like a Venus flytrap. Interesting. This could decide the match. Karasu ran, but dodged one too late, the plant enveloped him. As Yoko walked back towards his team, he glanced back, he wasn't done yet. I clenched my fists, if this dragged on too long, Shuichi would fight, and he couldn't keep up with Karasu. Suddenly Karasu, whose mask had been destroyed, inhaled deeply, his hair turning blond.

"He's… internalizing his power."

"What does that mean?" Kuwabara glanced at me.

"It means he's one big bomb, you oaf. And if my assumptions are correct, he's about to detonate." Hiei clarified.

"Thanks for the warning." I muttered, "Get behind me, Kuwabara." I made a shield as Karasu did as Hiei had predicted. When the smoke cleared, it revealed Kurama, Yoko was gone. "Damn." I whispered. He'd better think of a plan, and quickly. He attempted to make his whip, but the rose shattered, he was out of energy, or almost. He rushed Karasu, attacking.

"He's got a plan." Hiei remarked quietly.

I nodded in agreement. "It's obvious in the way he moves." I added as I barely caught him plant the Death Seed in Karasu's chest. I raised an eyebrow. No, the seed was only a catalyst for his plan. "He's going to summon." I gritted my teeth. "And it'll kill him." Suddenly the air was filled with bombs in the ring. Kurama froze. The bombs struck.

"GAAAH!" The kitsune shouted in pain.

"That SADISTIC BASTARD..." I glared up at the ring. Kurama sank to his hands and knees, blood pouring from his wounds. His eyes turned violet. He screamed out as the plant flew towards Karasu, burying itself in his chest, right on top of the small cut, and draining him of blood. And therefore effectively killing him. I ran into the ring and helped him up after the ten count.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stand up…" He had been barely one second too late.

"Don't worry about it, you killed him, and we won't have to worry about Binky-Boy having to fight him." He nodded as the Committee declared Karasu the winner. "Damn them, though." I whispered, carrying the exhausted Kurama from the ring. It was amazing he was still alive, really. The only reason he had survived was because, thanks to that potion, he absorbed some of Yoko's Spirit Energy. Shortening the obvious effects considerably.

"AW, are we LATE!" Rinku asked, running ahead.

"If we aren't, it's no thanks at all to the drunken biggie who gave our tickets away for a couple ah pints!" Jin glared at Chu.

"Would you shut it? We are here aren't we? No, I have to check!" Chu laughed.

"Yes, we are. Though it was kind of that usher to let us in." Touya smirked.

"Yeah, I didn't have to break his other leg!" Chu grinned.

"You were just lucky he was fat." Rinku winced as Chu's hand rested on his head for a second, then Chu walked down the stairs.

"Come on, let's find some seats." They walked down the aisle among the murmuring demons. "Ah, there are some." They sat where the demons had scooted over from. They watched Kurama's fight.

"Ooh.. That must've hurt." Rinku winced, just imagining the pain. Touya nodded.

The next guy, the one covered in armor stepped forward. "I was going to fight the leader, but what he did to Genkai, I'll let you have your vengeance." Hiei stated as he walked towards the ring.

"Thanks." I glanced at Toguro, my eyes cold.

"Yusuke." Hiei must've sensed this.

I snapped out of it. "Yeah?"

"Know what I'll wish for when we win this?" I smirked. Knowing Hiei, it would be bloody, gruesome, and creative. "I'm going to wish for the bloody and grotesque death of all the members of the committee."

I snickered. "Good, that'll save me the trouble."

Hiei smiled and entered the ring. He removed his cloak and stepped forward. Bui summoned his axe out of thin air. Hiei easily dodged. "Come on, I may be a small target, but this is sad." He grabbed his axe with the Living Flame surrounding his hand and broke it. Bui tossed it aside and summoned a new one. He threw blocks from the ring at Hiei again. "You are consistent, at least. Foolishly, if you think that axe will have more impact than the last. Because this is to your disadvantage and to my boredom."

"Sorry that you're bored. I'll remove my armor." He began to remove it. "And be grateful, this is the highest compliment I give." It fell to the ground.

Touya glanced at Yusuke, she was bandaging Kurama. "She'll be fighting Toguro."

Chu looked at him. "Do you think she'll win?"

"I doubt it. He's never unleashed his full power in this or any tournament."

"What you guys aren't getting is that Yusuke is a good deal stronger than when she fought us." Chu yawned.

"A good deal has to be quite a lot if she hopes to stand a chance, Chu." Touya sighed. "I don't want to sound so pessimistic, but I have to be realistic, her chances of winning are slim."

"Yeah, but that's what they were when she beat us. And you lost to a guy who lost to a dead guy. How pathetic is that?" Jin retorted. Rinku snickered.

_Hitokiri_: assassin

Votes:

Hiei: 9

Jin: 4

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 9

Jeez... For practically the whole time Hiei and Hiei/Kurama have been neck and neck! Well... Whatever. At least people are voting, and I thank you for that.


	20. Dragon and the Sword

Bui leapt into the air, a green aura surrounding him. "My Battle Aura." Hiei raised an eyebrow. The Living Flame wouldn't be very effective. He slowly unwrapped the bandage around his right arm. It fell to the floor. The black flames surrounded his arm.

I stared. He had mastered the dragon even more, it was eminent from the amount of energy he was wielding now, and it was WAY more than before. "Get ready to duck in cover." I whispered. Koenma gulped. The columns of black light steadily came towards the ring.

"DRAGON OF THE DARKNESS FLAME!" The tattoo on his arm turned into the dragon and rushed Bui, who's Battle Aura flared up and he grabbed the dragon, holding it at bay. I gritted my teeth; he would try to unleash it on Hiei. Hiei leapt to the top of part of the stadium that wasn't ruined by the dragon pushing Bui around like a rag doll.

"HIEI! GET DOWN!" I shouted, but too late. Bui saw his chance and set the monstrous dragon on Hiei. The dragons of Spirit World were known to turn on their masters; Bui had used that to his advantage. The dragon slowly vanished. I fell to my knees, and concentrated. Tears slid down my cheeks. Hiei couldn't be dead. He couldn't be… My knuckles throbbed. I looked up. A orb of dark flames burst open, revealing Hiei, whom Juri was about to declare dead. I shook my head; Bui was fighting a fool's fight now. "He absorbed the dragon, didn't he?" I asked Kurama, who nodded. I abruptly brushed away my tears. Hiei was going to pay for making me cry in public. Bui looked back at them, eyes fearful.

"Yes, in other words, I AM THE DRAGON." Bui charged him in a fury, Hiei let him push him around, and his attacks didn't even scratch him. Thoroughly bored, he attacked; Bui went flying into the stands. Hiei got to his feet.

"Please… Kill me." He glanced at his soon to be defeated opponent. "First Toguro, now you. What's the point…?"

"I don't take orders. Especially from those I defeated. If you want to die, kill yourself." Hiei flitted into the ring and was declared the winner. I glanced at the remains of the ring and whistled. Damn... At least you knew when he was serious. Hiei came over to them, yawning. "You guys need to look after my body while I hibernate." I nodded. That was understandable. He had used a lot of energy in that match. "I'm trusting you against my better judgment, so if you leave me some place where I'll get stepped on, I'll-" He fell forward, unconscious.

I barely caught him and laughed. "Even almost asleep he still manages to make threats." I lifted him. "And by the time he does wake up, we might be dead."

"Now we know Yusuke's outlook on life." Koenma remarked. I shrugged and took Hiei into the locker room as they announced an intermission while they got a ring flown in from the mainland.

Jin got up. "Where are you going?" Touya asked.

Jin shrugged and walked towards the aisle. "Save my seat." He walked off. Going to the Urameshi locker room, he entered.

"Hey, Jin." I got up and gave him a hug, he returned it.

"So, how're ya doin'?"

"Me? Fine. Kuwabara, nervous break down. Hiei, asleep. Kurama, badly injured. And as for Koenma, he can't fight." I rubbed the back of my head. "I don't think I'll make it through this. Kuwabara and I need to win, and I don't hold our chances very good."

Jin ruffled my hair fondly. "You'll win. I know ya can."

"Thanks." She tiredly sat down.

"Aw, c'mon now! Ya beat me, didn't ya!" He laughed. "Touya is a little doubtful, but he didn't fight you." Jin grinned. There was a loud noise, like a monster walking towards the stadium. We, Jin, Kuwabara and I ran towards the sound. We stared, dumbfounded at the sight. Toguro was carrying the ring from the old stadium on his back.

"Oh… Hell…" I whispered. Kuwabara broke out in a nervous sweat. Walking back to the locker room, Jin looked at me.

"You're bleeding." He glanced at my hand.

"Huh? Oh." My nails had been digging into my palms so hard that they drew blood. He gently grabbed my wrist and licked the blood off.

He couldn't help but think it tasted familiar… He was just surprised she let him, even though it was somewhat hesitantly.

When he finished bandaging my hands, he grinned. "There ya go." I glanced at my hand and saw he used his crisscrossing strips of cloth, the ones that covered his chest. He grinned when he saw me checking him out.

"Thanks." I pretended that I didn't see that he noticed as I walked back to my team.

After Yusuke turned her back and began to walk away, Jin cut his arm with his fangs; he licked his freshly spilled blood. It tasted almost exactly like Yusuke's. A second later, the cut healed. He knew this. And the fact that her cuts had almost been healed when he finished his first aid...

"Yusuke!" He called to her.

She turned around. "Yeah?"

"Who was your father?" He asked, serious. If his theory was right...

"Don't know. I never met him." She turned around again and entered the locker room. Lost in thought, Jin went back to his seat.

"What's up?" Rinku asked him.

"I think Yusuke's half demon."

I came back to the locker room just as Hiei woke up. "Who won!" He shouted, sitting up.

"I wish we could answer that." Kurama replied.

"How long have I been out?" He asked, his voice rising.

"Six hours." Kurama replied, his voice the same level, with a hint of amusement.

"But surely there's-?" Hiei began to say... But I cut him off.

"There isn't because we've been waiting for a new ring." I grinned. "You sure know how to give us extra time, Hiei. Destroying the ring and half the stadium." Kurama laughed at my comment.

Kuwabara walked forward to fight the elder Toguro. I watched him go, worried, this guy was trouble. He drew out his Trial Sword.

"Was that a gift from Genkai? I thought she'd give something like that to her apprentice." He laughed.

"Shut up." Kuwabara hissed.

I closed my eyes, conserving my energy for my fight. Kuwabara had to get this guy in one quick stroke, otherwise… This guy would kill him, slowly, painfully. I heard his cries of agony, the sound of tearing flesh, but blocked it out. I concentrated only on the sound of my own breathing. I had to find latent energy. And quickly. I came to a wall in my mind. It was crumbling. I examined it; it was an emotional one, crumbling from my tortured nightmares and experiences. I concentrated on the horrible images and feelings, the most prominent one was the feeling of losing Hiei and Kurama, it shook.

"SPIRIT FLYSWATTER!" My eyes opened as Kuwabara's energy sword became circular and squashed the elder Toguro. He was declared the winner. I got to my feet.

"Thank you for telling me earlier." He said as he walked past.

"Your welcome." I began to walk towards the ring.

"Urameshi?"

I stopped and turned around. "Yeah?"

He looked serious, half turned towards me. "Get him. For Genkai."

"Duh." I replied, walking to the ring, my hair struggling against the tie in the wind. Toguro began to head to the center of the ring as well, but stopped.

Suddenly Sakyo stepped forward and grabbed the microphone from Juri, after asking. "I am a man for the people, and I believe the people should get what they deserve. They should have this fight determine the Dark Tournament, not by two alternates. So, I am willing to bet my live on Toguro winning and that this fight decides the tournament." He looked at Koenma. "But this will only work if both parties agree to this." That bastard.

"I bet my life on Yusuke to win." d

"KOENMA! WHY!" I faced my boss, shocked.

"Yusuke, look at him and look at me. It may shock you, but I am not a fighter. I'm a ruler, and bruise easily. Why do you think I have you fight my battles for me? If I fought him, I'd loose. You have a chance this way." I looked at him. That made sense, but... He was right.

"We will have a ten minute intermission for the committee to approve this. In this time, you can place bets in our many fine betting booths in the lobby. They will close after this."

The committee approved it. Surprise, surprise.

I remounted the raised ring. "Yusuke."

I turned and faced Koenma "Yeah?"

"Don't blow this." I just grinned.

Toguro stepped forward. We stood across from each other. And just as Juri was about to announce the match, there was the sound of maniacal laughter as Toguro's older brother shot up through the ground. "You liquefied before your wounds became fatal?" I asked, hatred in my gaze. I was surprised Kuwabara survived the wounds the bastard gave him.

"Yes and hid and waited until the betting was closed so I could emerge victorious!"

"You are a sick bastard." I whispered.

"Maybe, but you definitely are your master's student. She was a wild cat back then, and not just in the heat of battle. The things she and my brother did…" He laughed. I felt sickened by the sound. "Back then I wouldn't have minded a go at her myself, but now…" His body shook with mirth. "You can't win unless my brother and I want you to. So what will it be? A sword? A dagger? A semi-automatic machine gun?" This guy was really pissing me off. His high, whiney voice didn't help matters, either.

"No." Toguro took a step forward.

Votes:

Hiei: 9

Jin: 5

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 10

Special thanks to hyperdude for coming up with a solution in case of a tie.


	21. Spirit Cuffs

"But brother, we can do this-!" Toguro kicked him out of the ring. "What? I'M YOUR OLDER BROTHER! YOU SON OF A BITCH!" He lunged towards him and me. Toguro moved in front of me and easily killed his brother.

"Sorry, but blood can run only so thick." He wiped the smear of blood off his knuckles. He turned to face me. "This will be a fair fight between you and me. And this time, I'm not throwing it for anyone."

"Good, because it's personal for me this time." I glared at him.

"You think this isn't personal for me as well? I'll start with eighty five!" His muscles expanded with each breath he took and he was surrounded in a purple aura, which literally melted the flesh off of the lower class demons. I watched, freaking myself out for how not scared I was.

"Begin!" Juri shouted as Toguro finished powering up. "My turn." I ripped off the wristbands.

"Stand still." Genkai drew the cuffs around my wrists and ankles. I easily drew my legs and arms apart mixing my Spirit Energy with my physical strength. "These'll keep you in perfect fighting shape 24-7. Think of them as weights for your Spirit Energy. And as usual, you can thank me later. And I'm giving you a release spell, use it when you think the time is right."

"Spirit Cuffs from Genkai?" Toguro asked. I knew he was too strong to beat with the cuffs on. I may be cocky, but I am not an idiot.

"Now would be a pretty good time, huh, Genkai?" I smiled, "AVITUS!" The yellow cuffs vanished and a golden light flashed for a second. I cried out as a maelstrom of aura lifted into the air, shaping a phoenix. It circled the stadium, uttering a cry when it passed overhead. Hovering over me for a second, it was reabsorbed into my body.

"Whoa!" Rinku shouted.

"You know you really got something when your wind is shaped like a phoenix!" Jin agreed.

Chu grinned and laughed. "Her energy is out of control!"

"I can see now that I underestimated her." Touya remarked quietly.

"You got that right!" Rinku snickered.

"Do you know what it's like? To lose your beloved?" Toguro asked quietly after I finished powering up.

"No. And I never will because I won't let that happen." I replied, charging up my Spirit Gun.

"Going to her ever trusted Spirit Gun." Touya leaned forward.

Just as it finished charging, I attacked.

Toguro smirked. She used her head in battle. He liked that. "Show me that your master didn't sacrifice herself in vain."

"Don't worry- she didn't!" I dodged his punch, it landed on the ring, completely and utterly destroying it. In retaliation, I kicked him in the head, he stumbled back. I concentrated all my energy. "SPIRIT GUN!" The energy hit him as he was knocked off balance, sending him straight out of the stadium.

"I can't believe the extent in which her technique has improved…" Kurama stared, eyes wide.

"Hn." Hiei agreed.

I felt, rather than saw, Toguro walking back towards the stadium. This battle would end only when one of them died, now that the ring had been obliterated. When Toguro emerged from the smoke, he smiled. "Thank you, Yusuke, for doing as I asked." I looked at him questioningly. He never asked me to do anything. Though I was under the impression that he wanted me to fight him with everything I had. He just started to power up, ignoring my confusion. "This is the first time I've ever gone to a hundred percent- let's see what you can do!"

The stadium fell into complete darkness. "I can't see myself think!" Kuwabara shouted. I snickered at that slightly. After the light reappeared, he was grown even more; his shoulders had lifted, creating two tubes. I assumed they were to maintain his hundred percent, if this was it, which I doubted, condition. This was probably more like eighty-five; the last had been sixty-five. His aura went flying into the stands and he was still powering up. My eyes widened. Was he doing it deliberately or did he lose control? I guessed it wasn't the latter. "Urameshi! Finish him while he's still powering up!" Kuwabara shouted at me. I ignored him, as usual. I had to see what he had.

"Graah!" I attacked; he fended me off with one hand. I glanced at the stands and saw Ryo, Kai and Yen struggling with his aura. "Damn you…." I whispered, my eyes turning the color of my aura for a brief second. I felt a surge of power course through me. He smirked and punched me in the gut. I went flying back, rolled and ran. I had seen him concentrate his aura in his thumb, it was a limitless supply and a direct hit would knock me over. I flipped, dived, dodged and leapt over them, avoiding them with every trick I could think of.

Hiei watched her move. Her movements had become more lethal with a grace that surpassed even Kurama's. Though he couldn't help but notice her eyes were narrowing and taking on a red tint.

"You aren't doing your job, Yusuke Urameshi. Maybe you just need some INSPIRATION to do better." His aura blasted from him and barely missed the shield Puu had made for Keiko, Botan, Shizuru and Yukina. "I wonder if I'll… MISS next time…." I snarled and charged him, my energy spiked up. Toguro smiled. My walls were coming down. I dodged his fist, but a kick blew me into the stands. When I came to a stop, I hunched over and coughed up blood.

Staggering to my feet, I glanced at Jin and quickly glanced at the three struggling humans. He saw my gaze and nodded. I smiled and mouthed "Thank you". Running back down to the arena, I leapt to the ground. Suddenly the two tubes lifted, and sucked in the surrounding air. There were screams as the souls of the dead and weak living were dragged into his body.

"This body takes a lot of maintenance. My body has the demonic impulses to feed, but only when I decide to, does it make the kill." I looked at him in horror. "Are you going to let your friends watch you let all these people be killed?" He laughed. I growled in response. I didn't have to worry about Kurama and the others, Koenma had made a shield for them, Puu was protecting the girl's and Jin and the others could take care of themselves, but... My knuckles throbbed, painfully.

The crowd started murmuring, then as one, a ton of them charged. "If I'm goin' down, I'm goin' down with a fight!" One of the demons shouted before Toguro killed them, either with the aura or the thumb bullets.

"I suggest the rest of you stay in your seats. Yusuke and I have disagreeable tempers."

"Shut up, Toguro. I'M NOTHING LIKE YOU!" I shouted, lunging at him, in a fury of kicks and punches, Toguro held me back.

Then he glanced at my teammates. "What would you do… If I killed them?"

"What!" I shouted, my eyes wide with fear.

"You heard me."

"BASTARD!" Toguro's eyes widened as I changed. "DON'T YOU **_TOUCH_** THEM!"

Hiei's face was grim, as was Kurama's, when they heard Toguro. Koenma and Kuwabara were just plain scared. Hiei glanced at Yusuke. Fools. You should never let emotions enter the ring. He made a mistake when he let Yusuke fight him.

I had to do this. I didn't want to, but I had to. I glanced up at the sky and took a deep breath. "Suru hito wa ayatsuru sono unmei no jinrui, wo kiku watakushi no kongan. Moto ni modosu watakushi wo wo tasuke ni kuru nani ga shite iru mo ichido, yuki no mina no sorera no dare gisei karera jishen wo ni watakushi no namae! Yurei'ha!"

Aura exploded from my body as I closed my eyes and the memories flashed through my mind. Death, destruction, killing, was the majority of them. But some were peaceful, nice. Then... I screamed as I clutched my head and sank to my knees. No... Chikusho... Shinkiro... Doku... Naifu... My eyes snapped open. I stood, brushing off my knees. I glanced at Toguro; he took a step towards my teammates.

"This fight is between you and me, Toguro. Leave my team out of this!" I hissed.

He just laughed. "If not your team, why not them?" He vanished.

My eyes widened and realized what he was going to do. "DON'T YOU DARE!" I screamed.

Hiei covered his eyes with his arm. The power she was creating… Incredible. Suddenly her energy changed dramatically, her attack driven inward and her defense outward, protecting those in the stadium. She teleported.

Toguro was just about to kill I blocked the attack. "What!" Toguro shouted, shocked at my power's sudden skyrocket.

"I respected you, you know that?" My power canceled out his own as I forced his blood-soaked hand out of my abdomen. I felt the warm, sticky sensation of blood gush from the wound. "Let's just say I haven't had many people to look up to. And what you had going on, it didn't look too bad. You didn't listen to anyone, and I wanted that. Until Genkai told me the rest." She finished before Toguro could cut her off. "That you gave up on your friends so you could become a demon of the highest class. I won't let go of them, Toguro, even if it takes my life!"

Suru hito wa ayatsuru sono unmei no jinrui, wo kiku watakushi no kongan. Moto ni modosu watakushi wo wo tasuke ni kuru nani ga shite iru mo ichido, yuki no mina no sorera no dare gisei karera jishen wo ni watakushi no namae! Yurei'ha: He who manipulates the fate of mankind, hear my plea. Restore me to what I was once more, for all those who sacrificed themselves in my name! Ghost Blade!

Chikusho: damn it

Shinkiro: mirage

Doku: poison

Naifu: knife

Votes:

Hiei: 9

Jin: 5

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 10


	22. The Death of Toguro

My knuckles throbbed on last time, I hissed in pain as I felt a ripping sensation in my knuckles.

_Snkt! _

Blue scalpel-like blades shot out from between my fingers, slicing right into Toguro's arm. His pale, lifeless gray eyes met my own fierce vermilion. He shivered.

"What? You scared of me?" I asked, smirking as I used the phrase he had at the building complex two months ago.

He laughed. I narrowed my eyes even more. The blood red color flashing gold.

"If you like the eyes of a _hitokiri_, I'll gladly show you those of a _Shidosha_."

He just continued laughing.

"Still can't let go? Maybe I should REALLY kill one of-" I didn't give him the chance to finish. I punched him straight in the face; he went flying down to the stadium floor. Leaping after him, I landed on his back, forcing him to slide across the ground. I jumped off and powered up my Spirit Gun, delivering the blast before he could get up.

Jin deflected the aura with wind. "Why are you helping us?" Kai asked, helping Ryo sit down.

"Yusuke asked me to."

"And why would you do anything she asked?"

"'Cause she's my friend." Jin grinned. Then paled as he saw Toguro. "Get behind us. Now." He ordered. Just as Toguro was about to strike, Yusuke blocked the attack. Jin listened to what she was saying. Friends… The only person he had called a friend before this tournament had been Touya. But now… He looked around and smiled. He watched her knock Toguro down she glanced back at them. Her eyes... Jin couldn't help but stare. They were... Golden... He couldn't move... She saw the effect they had on him, smiled apologetically but it was obvious she was relieved they were all right. She turned back to Toguro, and leapt after him.

"Is everyone alright?" Touya coughed.

"Yeah. But I feel weird, as if I'm being protected or something…" Rinku remarked.

"Yeah, it does." Chu agreed.

"It's such a melancholy wind she be firing. I can feel her emotions, like they're being pulled out from a big black empty." Jin whispered. Her emotions were intense. So intense that it felt like they were _his_ emotions.

"The shock of almost loosing her friend was too great; the wall around her emotions came down." Touya explained. "Now her defensive power is protecting every one in the stadium, while her attack is driven solely on herself."

"Get up." I ordered. "I'm firing one last Spirit Gun and it's going to end this fight one way or another. So show me everything you have right now and if I win, I don't want to see you back up."

Toguro smirked and realigned his head with his neck, which had become lop-sided from my attack. "Ah, the eyes of determination. I have seen them many times on glory seeking fools. I always give their bearer's what they ask for, and nearly always it's a fight with me. But you asked me to give it all I have. So be it." His muscles hardened and began to expand again. "I admit I haven't been entirely truthful." He confirmed my suspicions. I began to power up my Spirit Gun.

"Our cobbler's makin' a last stand." Chu remarked quietly.

"They're pushing themselves to their limit to fight."

"Not just there, Rinku, right up to their limit and beyond!" Jin corrected.

"They're putting their lives on the line in this final attack." Touya closed his eyes against the wind that they were kicking up.

"Did it always glow that brightly?" Chu asked, staring at the Spirit Gun.

"Nope." Rinku replied.

I fired, putting every thing into it, caring for her friends all the way. I screamed out in pain as I began to fade. Toguro held on to the blast, groaning. I fell to my knees as my blast faded. Toguro didn't release the blast yet; he had to see it through. After it dissipated, I saw he was still standing. I fell forward, out cold. Toguro creaked as he stood and walked over to me.

"Aw man, Urameshi couldn't do it… We're screwed…" One demon whispered.

"I killed Genkai, but one remained. And now that final piece can at last be put to rest." He looked at the child Genkai almost called her own. "This was the first time I could use my absolute strength and you answered. Thank you again, Yusuke Urameshi." He smiled, almost fatherly, his gray eyes smiling. His muscles exploded, he fell forward, dead.

"That's…. hard to call." Koto remarked. Juri walked through the remains of the ring. She yelped at the sight of Toguro's body. Then she backed away.

Touya looked down and smiled.

Jin grinned.

Chu stared.

Rinku was stunned.

Koenma gasped.

Kuwabara's jaw dropped.

Kurama chuckled.

Hiei smirked.

Botan cried.

"JURI! Behind you!" She turned around and saw Yusuke. She slowly stood, taking a deep breath.

Koto jumped down from the announcer's box. "WINNER OF THE TOURNAMNT! TEAM URAMESHI!" Koto and Juri announced. The remaining of the spectators cheered.

I fell to my knees, my team ran over. "Am I… Am I alive?" I whispered.

"Of course you are! Do you see any halos on us?" Koenma asked. "Everything's going to be okay now." I nodded slowly and stood.

Sakyo walked forward. "Well Koenma, it's time to settle our great bet."

"Bet's off, your fortune is gone. You're no threat to me any more."

"Such kind words from such a wise ruler, but what's the point of betting if you know you can get out of your bets? No matter, I'll take care of it myself."

"Don't you dare!" I growled.

He looked at me for a second, then looked down. He pressed the button. "In fifteen minutes, this stadium will be ruins, taking me and my ambitions along for the ride. Lucky for you, I'm an ego-maniac that won't let my work continue without me." He turned and walked away.

"Stadium detonation, fifteen minutes." The sound system blared.

"I think we should leave now!" Touya shouted over the noise. The others agreed.

"Yusuke, can you look after the girls?" Koenma asked.

"Naturally. Why?"

"I've got some business with Sakyo." He turned to leave. "Don't get yourself killed." He ran off.

"You heard the man, let's go." I let them pass me as they ran towards their family and friends. I glanced down back at Toguro. "See ya around... Toguro." I smiled. As I limped after my teammates.

Kuwabara ran in the lead, shouting "Wait Yukina, I'll save you! Get out of the way, you stupid demons!"

We all got a sweat drop. "Why couldn't Toguro have killed him?" Hiei asked regretfully. I just grinned.

_Hitokiri_: assassin

_Shidosha_: leader

Votes:

Hiei: 9

Jin: 5

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 10

For any of you who have been wondering, Yusuke and Jin are half-siblings in this fic. Normally, Yusuke's blood is all human, but due to this Tournament, her demonic blood is lending her strength, i.e. the golden eyes and latent energy. After the Tournament, her blood will return to normal, it'll be like she didn't ever have the demon blood. And the only reason it tasted similar was because of that. Because if her blood was normally like this, I would've had a scene with Koenma and Botan discussing it. Plus, Hiei would've noticed, and probably Kurama as well. So if any one really wants Jin/Yusuke scenes, I'll write them, but their relationship will basically be similar to that of brother and sister, though Jin will be somewhat interested in her romantically.


	23. Half Assed

Running, we came to the exit, only to find it blocked with two minutes to detonation. "We don't have time to find a new exit!" Botan groaned.

"Get out of the way, I'll bust through." I stumbled forward.

"Yusuke, you don't have the strength to." Kurama caught me as I fell back.

"Neither do you or Hiei, so what choice do we have?" My question was answered a second later by an explosion. When the smoke cleared, it revealed Chu with Rinku on his shoulder, Jin, Touya, Kai, Yen and Ryo.

"How goes it, mate?" Chu asked.

"A lot better now." I grinned.

"Well, then don't stand there like a bludger! Let's go! We can't afford having our champion team get injured now, can we?" Chu asked, grinning.

"Right he is! When the tourney next around comes flying we'll face you ourselves and have new muscles on use and 'WHEW-WEE' you'll go zipping and we'll be champions of that one!" Jin said with his usual cocky grin on his face.

"Right. What ever he said." I grinned back. I suddenly fell forward. Jin caught me. Gently lifting me, we all ran out. As the stadium exploded, every one gathered together. I had him set me down. I looked up at the sky. "It's done… WE FINISHED IT GENKAI!" I shouted. As Botan began to rant about us not getting our prizes, I smiled sadly. It's not like the Committee could've given me what I wanted anyway. I grimaced and leaned against Hiei, who was right next to me, to keep from falling over. Yukina, Hiei, and Kurama helped me down to the ground. Yukina and Kurama examined my wounds, primarily my abdomen gash, which had started bleeding again.

"She's tired; she just needs time and rest." Was Yukina's analysis, besides bandaging and maybe stitches, which Kurama did, with the help of various plants. Stumbling back to our room, the exhausted Team Urameshi fell on our beds and were out cold before we even hit them. The next morning, I woke and quickly showered. Bandaging my abdomen, again, I went to the forest.

"Hey, Yusuke!" I turned and saw Rinku, Chu, Touya and Jin walking towards me.

"Hey." I winced. "Mind helping me sit down?" Chu and Jin immediately complied. "Jeez, I feel like an invalid…" I groaned, but had a smile on my face. "So, you guys okay? Are Kai, Yen and Ryo okay?"

"Yeah, they're fine." Jin grinned. "As are we." I let out a breath of relief.

"What about you, Yusuke?" Touya asked me.

"I'll… Be fine. Eventually." I smiled sadly. "These physical wounds will not last very long."

Rinku looked around and hopped off Chu's shoulder. "I'll see ya guys later." He grinned and walked off. This raised questioning glances from his friends, but he just winked and disappeared into the forest.

I leaned against the tree and closed my eyes. "Funny. After the tournament ended, this place lost some of its ominous feeling." They nodded in agreement. "So, what are you doing after this, Chu?"

He smiled. "Nothing."

I laughed. "If any of you are ever in the human world, look me up."

Chu's smile widened. "We will."

"Good." I slowly stood. "I'll see you guys later." I turned to leave.

"Hold on a sec, Sheila." I turned back around.

"Yeah?" I asked, grinning.

"Here." He tossed me something, which I easily caught and opened.

"These are knives that you used for the Deathmatch." I remarked, lifting the two blades to my eyes.

"Yep." He grinned. "A little memento of the tournament, 'cause you can't get any prizes."

"Thanks." I slipped them into their case.

Jin stood and playfully put an arm around my shoulder. "And this is for my little sister." He winked and laughed. "From me and Touya." He handed me a small bag. "Save it for later." He advised, smiling.

"Thanks, guys." I smiled ruefully. "I don't have any thing for you though."

"Just some hospitality when we visit is good. Oh an' some terp." I rolled my eyes. Ever the alcoholic. He and Ma would get along well. Smiling and waving, I put the knife case in the bag and walked off.

Back in my room in the hotel, I opened the bag and immediately pulled out the contents. Inside was a pair of pants; similar to Jin's except they were a light forest green. The shirt was a slightly darker shade and was cut similar to Touya's, except without the fishnet sleeves and it was made for a girl. The belt was silver, and was shaped like intricate ivy-leaves and vines. There were even Shinobi sandals and bandages. After checking that every thing fit, I carefully folded it and put it back. There was a knock on her door. I glanced up. "Come in."

A hotel waiter entered. "I was instructed to give this to you." He handed me a letter. I opened it and quickly scanned it; it was a copy of a will. I looked at the signatures on the bottom. It was Toguro's, and it left me…. I stared. Why had he left this to me? I checked the back of the letter, but saw nothing. Maybe he wasn't so bad, after all. Putting the will with my other stuff, in Jin's bag, she started packing.

"Yusuke, may I come in?"

I glanced at Keiko. "Yeah, come in." I made space on my bed for her to sit.

"Yusuke, are you going to come back home?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"When I saw you fight, I thought you might want to stay in the demon world…"

"No, I still have some ties to the human world. I might have to sever them someday, but not now." I hugged my best friend. A few minutes later, after Keiko left and after throwing my stuff back in my bag, I grabbed my two small bags. Meeting the guys down in the lobby, I absent-mindedly stroked Puu, who crooned happily. She would be staying with Keiko probably, but… I didn't really care. Hiei sat down beside me. I was startled when I felt him grasp my hand under the table, but didn't say anything. I felt reassurance from his touch.

Walking towards the ship back to the mainland, I couldn't help but remark "It's going to be weird not fearing for my life for a while."

"Yes, normal life will seem rather droll for a while." Kurama agreed.

"Yeah, its back to skipping detentions." I sighed.

"Video games." Kuwabara grinned cheesily.

"My human mother." Kurama smiled fondly.

Hiei calmly, and in a bored tone, added "Various crimes."

"Let's go home!" Kuwabara, Keiko, and Botan cheered.

"Well EXCUSE ME if I feel a little insulted."

I froze. That voice... I turned around. The others, minus Hiei and Kurama who walked, ran over to her. I stared. I felt tears forming. "YOU BITCH!"I rushed her. She tensed and shifted into a fighting stance. Dodging her punch, I hugged her. She grinned.

"Looks like you're rubbing off on me dimwit. I died like you." She chuckled slightly. "Half-assed." Genkai returned the hug.

On the ship, I leaned over the railing and smiled as the breeze blew through my hair.

Votes:

Hiei: 9

Jin: 5

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 10


	24. Back to Normal

Grinning as I slipped on my uniform, I ran to the door, ignoring Ma's shouts to make her some coffee. Running down the flights of stairs, I quickly started up the motorcycle Toguro left me. Slipping on the racing-styled aerodynamic helmet, I sped off towards school. Pulling into the parking lot, I kicked down the stand and pulled off the helmet.

Setting it on the bike, I sauntered into the school. I glanced at Kuwabara and his gang. "Yo! Urameshi!"

I paused and turned around. "Yeah?" I raised an eyebrow.

He grinned cheesily. "You know where Yukina is right?"

Oh boy. "And I'm gonna tell you why?"

"Pleeaaassseee!"

"No. Koenma'd have a fit." As would Hiei, I mentally added.

"Aw... C'MON!" He lunged at me. I glared at him out of the corner of my eye. Baka. I back flipped over him and hit him over the head.

"Not going to tell you." I turned and walked toward the roof.

Grabbing a cigarette I took one puff, glanced at it, then dropped it. Crushing it beneath my heel, I walked over to the railing. It has been a little over a month since the Tournament... And I can't help but wonder how Jin, Chu and the others are doing... And I haven't seen Kurama and Hiei in a while either. Koenma always has them busy with something.

Sighing as the wind blew through my loose hair, I glanced behind me as I heard the door open. "THERE YOU ARE!"

Crap. Keiko.

Fortunately she didn't see the crushed cigarette. That's a slight bonus...

"Why aren't you in uniform!"

"What are you talking about?" I grinned. This is _exactly_ why I decided to wear this. "I _am_ wearing a uniform."

She growled, her eye twitched. "That's a _guy's_ uniform."

I shrugged. "A uniform's a uniform. Just be glad I am wearing one." I inwardly smirked, enjoying every moment of this.

"Come on! We're going to the principle's!" Crap again.

I shrugged and followed her down the stairs. As we passed the main gate, I saw a flash of red that caught my eye. Could it be...?

"KURAMA!" I shouted.

"Hm?" The flash of red backtracked. His face lit up. "Yusuke!"

Before I could fully grasp the situation, I was in a bear hug, getting my lungs crushed courtesy of Kurama and Hiei.

"Little air?" I managed to gasp.

"Sorry." Hiei smirked.

"Sure ya are." I coughed.

Kurama laughed. "Come on! Don't stand there! Let's go!"

I noticed the look of fury on Keiko's face. Deciding now was a good time to leave, I grinned and waved. "Later, 'Ko." I smirked, just to piss her off more. But before she could do anything, I was zooming out of there on my motorcycle with Hiei and Kurama on my heels.

"YUSUKE!"

Damn, it was good to be alive.

I led them to the medium-sized estate Toguro left me in the country. Rolling my bike into the garage, I led them into the house.

"Nice place." Kurama commented.

Hiei glanced around. "Who left you this?"

"Toguro. Tea, anyone?"

Taking the their slack-jaws a yes, I went into the kitchen and put the kettle on.

"The same Toguro that tried to kill you?" Hiei was the first to regain his use of speech.

"Yeah." I poured the water.

"Why would he?"

"Don't ask me." I replied to Kurama's half-spoken question and handed each of them a mug of green tea. After pouring myself one, I put the kettle back on the stove. "So, how've you been? Haven't seen you since the Tournament."

Hiei snorted. "Running errands for Pacifier-Breath. What else?"

I smirked. "Sounds 'bout right." I took a sip of the tea. I had gotten fond of the herbal kind since the two months I trained with Genkai. "And I doubt you are here for a social visit."

Kurama nodded, if somewhat regretfully. "Yes. Spirit World is in a little trouble, regarding a war that may be brewing. Koenma is holding a meeting with all three of the leaders of Demon World. He needs you to come and provide safety."

I sighed. "Any one I know going to be there?"

I swear I saw a smile on Kurama's face for a split second. But I can't be too sure... "I do not know." Liar.

He stood and kissed my forehead. "We'll pick you up in two days time. Please be ready to go by then." He pressed the back of my hand to his lips and turned to leave. I blinked. What the hell...? He was gone before I could say anything.

Hiei glared at Kurama's retreating back. Then silently sighed and stood. "Take care of yourself."

I nodded and stood as well. Giving him a quick hug, I grinned. "See ya in two days. Though you are welcome to stay if you want." Considering he slept in trees while in the human world. He seemed slightly shocked by my offer.

"Thank you." I glanced at him and grinned.

"No problem." I led him to the hallway closet. "Anything you need will probably be in here." I glanced at him. "If you need anything else, just ask."

I stretched slightly. "I'll be outside training if you need me." I turned and walked outside leaving Hiei in the house. As I did my usual regime of stretches, I couldn't help but shake the feeling Hiei was watching me from the house.

Baka: idiot

Votes:

Hiei: 9

Jin: 5

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 10

And note, I do not come up with pairings, I merely go with what the voters and reviewers want. This is for those wondering why Jin is in the running. And if anyone wants me to write a Jin/Yusuke fic, I will. Though I do have a Jin/Touya/OC written already... And will do a sequel after I finish this one... Well, whatever.

And do not blame me if I don't update tomorrow. I have finals Wednesday and I wish to do well on my Geometry one. Wednesday I will update for sure.

Note: last week for voting.


	25. Vulnerable

When I came back to the house, I quickly cleaned up and, this may surprise you, but I did my homework. After I finished, I glanced at the clock, and sighed. Too early to go to bed, too late to go for a walk. Damn. My ears perked up as I heard almost completely silent footsteps. My hands slid towards my _kunai_ knives... But stopped when I saw it was Hiei. I raised an eyebrow. He was completely covered in soot and was panting heavily.

"You okay?" I asked, standing. I barely caught him as he fell.

He laughed, even if it was somewhat shakily. "Yeah..."

"You don't look it." I glared at him.

He smirked and winced as he sat up. "C'mon... I've... Got something to show you..." I shrugged.

"Fine. But you can barely walk." I stood up. "Here." I draped his arm over my shoulders so he was leaning on me. "If you let go, and try to be nonchalant and macho, as you usually are, I _will_ kick your ass."

He smirked slightly, "Fine."

As I half-carried and half-dragged Hiei outside, he instructed me to go to the old shed on the edge of the property. I rolled my eyes. Only Hiei would, in his condition, insist on walking two miles. I sighed.

"I'm carrying you, we'll get there much quicker." Before he could argue, I shifted his position so he was on my back, piggyback style. "Hold on." I ran. As fast as I possibly could. We were there in two minutes, max. Seeing the grimace on his face, I rolled my eyes. Boys and their masochism... But I let him slide down. Leaning heavily on the wall, he entered the building. I somewhat hesitantly followed. It was _hot_ in there. I glanced around; he had turned it into a forge. My eyes widened. He managed to do this in a few hours...?

"Here." Hiei winced as he knelt and lifted something and handed it to me. It was a good four feet long. I set the polished wood on the table and opened it. I stared.

It was a sword. I hesitantly pulled the blade from the black onyx sheath. The silver braided into the black cloth on the handle was cool against my hand. I pulled it half way out. The blade itself was tempered steel, but... Something about it was... unearthly. Possibly from the demon plane...? Then the design running along the blade caught my eye. I remembered it from the Tournament.

"The Dragon of the Darkness Flame...?" I glanced at him. The aura surrounding the blade was the same as the one that surrounded Hiei, now that he was the dragon.

He nodded and winced. Then it hit me. He infused his own aura into the metal, almost literally making it a part of himself. I pulled it out completely. As I did so, black flames spiraled out of the blade, licking the edges. The amount of energy for this kind of infusion was incredible... I glared at him.

"You... idiot... I'm surprised you're even standing, let along conscious." I sheathed the blade.

He smirked. "It was worth it."

I blinked.

He elaborated, flinching from pain before he did so. "I... I cannot be with you all the time... And that sword will protect you... When I cannot."

I let my fingers slide down the cool stone. But my eyes were on him, I had never... Seen him this vulnerable before.

He looked at the ground. "I failed once... I swore I would protect you, no matter what, but I could not..." His voice was thick, his shoulders shaking. "But... While you were fighting Toguro... I could not do a thing!" I took a step towards him, the blade in one hand.

"Hiei." He refused to meet my eyes. "Look. At. Me." He hesitantly lifted his gaze so he was looking directly at me. His eyes shone with unshed tears. "I'm still alive, aren't I?" I smiled slightly. "I can take care of myself, for the most part." I slowly tightened the embrace. To my surprise, he returned it.

"I know... But I cannot afford to lose you..." Then he was back to myself. He blinked, all uncertainty in his eyes were gone. His normal arrogance replaced it. "And if you do die, I am coming after you to kill you myself."

I smirked as I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

The next morning, I grudgingly got up for school. I really hoped Kurama would come before school, though I doubted it. Stumbling to the shower, I turned the water on, full blast cold. Now awake, I quickly got ready for school and was on my way in less than five minutes. I arrived just before the tardy bell rang. Taking my seat, I began to erase some of my answers. I had a reputation to think of.

"I see you think fit enough to grace us with your presence." I glanced up at Iwamoto's voice.

I tensed. He was about to frame me for something... "And you don't even wear a proper uniform...Tsk." I rolled my eyes. He's as bad as Keiko. I was knocked out of my thoughts, literally, when his fist made contact with my cheek. I was knocked out of my seat. Rolling, I was on my feet, ready for a fight. He took a step forward, his fist raised to strike again. I looked at him coolly, ready to block it.

"YUSUKE!" For the first time during school, I was glad to see Keiko.

"Morning." I yawned as Keiko stomped over towards me. Before I could move, which is saying something, she grabbed me by the ear and dragged me out of the classroom and down to the principle's office. I smirked inwardly. Perfect timing. That would piss Iwamoto off. Though I inwardly frowned. When did Iwamoto hit his students? Have to mention that to the principle... Speaking of whom... What would his reaction be when he saw me in a guy's uniform? I hated the girl's uniforms. How was I supposed to fight in a skirt? He should just be thankful I am wearing a school uniform, albeit a green one, and a boy's, but a uniform, nonetheless.

Half way through his rant, after he kept cutting me off when I was about to bring up Iwamoto, I walked out. I did not need this crap. "Where do you think you're going!" He shouted.

I glared at him, my eyes flashing red. "Home."

He froze. And I casually turned on my MP3 player as I began the walk to well, I guess home, because it was more so than that condo Ma rented out. A lot cleaner to. And she wouldn't miss me; she was on one of her drinking binges.

When I got home, Hiei was no where to be found. Shrugging it off, I went to my room to take a shower. After wards, I quickly dried off, got dressed and went to the kitchen. Grabbing a carton of ice cream (cookies and cream) and a spoon, I turned on the television and began eating the ice cream. Flipping through the channels until I came to the news, I half-listened as I ate.

"In other news, Sarayashiki Jr. High has been infiltrated by-" I dropped the carton and leaned forward, watching the scenes on the screen, my eyes narrowing dangerously. Someone was out to get Yurei'ha out, seeing how all the signs pointed towards the _hitokiri_, though it might be an imposture... Though I doubted it. Shoving the half-eaten carton back in the fridge, I went to the garage after pausing to grab a coat. Slipping on my belt, I, after a second glance, grabbed the sword Hiei gave me, then I came to my engineering masterpiece: Shadow. I ran a hand fondly down the sleek black sides. Almost completely silent and could go two hundred miles per hour, thanks to my work. Though I dreaded to think what would happen if I did go that fast...

Pulling on my helmet, I tightened the green trench coat-like garment closer. Seeing how it once had been Toguro's, it was a few sizes too large on me, but... whatever. Taking off, I leaned forward to be aerodynamic. Speeding along, I gritted my teeth. Those bastards would pay if they had harmed any one of the students or teachers... Except for Iwamoto and Akashi. They would have the thanks of all the students and half the teachers if they disposed of those two. Hell, I'd probably congratulate them myself.

In a matter of minutes, I was at the school gate. Parking my motorcycle far enough that it would be unnoticed but close enough for a getaway, I easily leapt over the wall and entered the courtyard. Blending in with the shadows, I slipped into the building unnoticed for there were no guards outside. Flitting through the hallways, I thought quickly. Where would they keep the students? The only place big enough for everyone: the gym.

I sighed silently. Crap. They have had a few hours, probably to set up traps and the like, but... I smirked as I slid a _senbon_ out of its holder. Let's see how good these _hitokiri_ are.

_Kunai_: knives used by ninja's and assassins.

_Hitokiri_: assassin

_Senbon_: acupuncture needle, but if it hits a vital point, it is fatal.

Votes:

Hiei: 9

Jin: 5

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 12


	26. Kumo

Kuwabara struggled against his bonds, but stayed quiet enough to listen to his captor's conversation, for they thought everyone had been knocked out by gas. His spiritual awareness and prowess had caused him to come to, probably hours before everyone else. So he waited.

"Do you think she will come?" A quiet, sinister voice asked.

"She will. We have bait she will not refuse." Another voice laughed, this one was deeper, arrogant.

Who's 'she'...?

"You call this bunch of third-rate humans 'bait'?" The first guy snorted, glancing around. "These humans are barely worth the trouble of drugging them."

"True." The second voice laughed. "Yurei'ha has changed... I regret to say, but not overly so." His voice lowered, almost softened. "She is still loyal to a fault. The only reason she left is because of that bastard traitor, Kangae." He spat out the name as if it tainted him just by saying it. "She will come." He whispered. "She will come."

You mean 'she has come'."

Kuwabara inwardly groaned. Yusuke. This wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Yurei'ha." The first voice hissed in surprise.

"Hebi." I raised an eyebrow. "I've heard many things about you." And most of them implied he was a cheating bastard that had no sense of honor or pride. He sucked up to those in power and was a complete coward completely capable of backstabbing. I glanced at the second guy. "Kumo..." God... Why...? My **_best friend's teacher_**? Why did he do this...?

"It's been a while, Yurei'ha." He nodded, his eyes boring into mine. His pain was evident.

"Why." I knew my voice was sharp, harsh. He flinched. He obviously did not want to do whatever they were doing.

"Sorry to break up this touching moment," Hebi interrupted. "But we have orders to bring you back."

I glared at him. "I. Am. Not. Going." My hand strayed towards my bells. Kumo was like his name with his threads. Shinkiro had originally taught me, but he had learned from Kumo, the Spider. He was deadly with his silken threads and various poisons. I glanced around; I could see the glint of his thread, encasing us. I sighed and rested my hand on the hilt of my sword.

"I'm sorry, Yurei'ha, but you don't go against the _Shujin_." No. You don't. Unless you have a death wish. You just do as you are told, no questions asked. The life of a _hitokiri_ is no joy ride. You could be killed by your comrades just as easily as being killed by an enemy.

"I know, so I'll just kick your ass!" I leapt into the air. Dodging the threads, I landed. Leaping at him, I concentrated my aura on my hands. I couldn't have him interfering... There was a scream as Hebi fell to the floor, dead, my ghost blades buried in his corpse.

I glanced at Kumo. He looked nervous. I raised an eyebrow, then smirked. "What? Are you afraid of me?"

He just shook, his whole body trembling. I blinked. What was going on? I glanced behind me. No one... His eyes were on me. Fear was heavy in the air surrounding him. What was wrong with him...?

"Are you okay?" I asked, what was going on?

He just fell to his knees and threw up, still shaking. And probably in a cold sweat. Oh.

I sighed. I had slipped into _Shidosha_ mode and hadn't even realized it. Drawing in my aura, I was back to normal by the time he stood up. My golden eyes had turned back to their normal brown hue and my face reverted from its death glare look. Though he was still shaking.

"You... Truly are one of the best, Yurei'ha." He laughed; it matched how steady he was standing. "Able to make a experienced _hitokiri_ go into a blind panic... Just by staring them in the eye... Doku taught you well." He paused, not sure of how to continue.

"But, if you will not return, I have no choice." His eyes were grim. In other words, he'd kill me. As if he could, but... Rogue assassins held secrets that had to kept that way, and the _hitokiri_ would do anything to protect them. But, considering the rogues were generally the most powerful of the _hitokiri_, many lives were lost, as a result.

I had wished it wouldn't come to this, too. "It looks like I don't either, then." I _really_ didn't want to do this... But if it was going to be either him or me, I would rather it be him. Sorry, Shinkiro...

I pulled out the blade; the black flames surrounded it instantly. His eyes widened. "Those... flames... From the deepest pits of Spirit World... The Dragon... How...?"

I glanced at the blade. "I'm sorry, Kumo... But..." He glanced at the bells in his hand, grinned at me, and set them back in his pouch. He was too happy for someone about to die or kill someone else.

"Don't worry about it." His smile was cheery. What was he so happy about...? "I knew it would come to this. You truly haven't changed, Yurei'ha." I saw what was in his hand.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" I shouted as I ran towards him.

"Sorry, kid, but I can't go back if I fail... And I don't want to force you to have my blood on your hands." He laughed. "Take care of yourself, 'ha."

"KUMO!" I was inches from grabbing his knife when he stabbed himself. He fell back; I quickly knelt beside him, ready to use Spirit Energy to heal him, but... Tears fell when I saw that he had stabbed himself in the heart and twisted the knife, ripping the organ to pieces. His trademark assassination technique. Nothing could save the person once he had used it on them. Which meant... That... IDIOT.

After I cleaned up the mess, I left, or rather, I mostly cleaned it up, I turned to leave. I saw Kuwabara was awake. "Tell anyone, and you will regret saying anything."

He nodded. "So... Who was he anyway?"

I glanced at the ashes of where the corpse had been. "A friend."

Tiredly shoving my motorcycle into the garage I entered my house. Tossing the jacket, belt, and sword to the side, I locked the door behind me. Going upstairs, I turned on the hot water, full blast.

I let it pound on me as I closed my eyes. Why...? Why did everyone always die...? Shinkiro, Naifu, Kangae, Doku... Kumo... EVERYONE. I sank to my knees, tears mixing with the hot water. The scorching water hit my back, wave after wave. I turned it to freezing cold and nearly screamed at the temperature change. I gritted my teeth so I would not. I did not want Hiei barging in with me completely naked. I was not stupid. Despite common belief. As I shivered, I closed my eyes. The _hitokiri_ would not be discouraged by this. Though Kumo had been one of the best Thread Masters, he was by no means one of the strongest _hitokiri_. In fact, if it was not for his Thread techniques, he would only be middle-class. They would send even stronger fighters next. Ones that had no emotional link to me. One that would not give a shit if I died. There were few of those, but all of those who were, they were strong. I rested my forehead against the cool tile of the shower. They would not hesitate to go after any one I cared for. Damn... This could, and probably would end up with half of the _hitokiri_ _Kyokai_ after my blood. And probably all of the _Shidosha_. I may be strong, I may be extremely strong, but if I had to go against over three of the other four _Shidosha_ at once I would probably defeat them, but I could get killed. Quite easily. One mistake and I was pushin' daisies. And if the _Shujin_ himself came after me... Or was it herself? Any way, I could probably win. I hope. No one has ever seen what he, or her, looks like. Not even the strongest or most trusted _Shidosha_. And that was saying something. We had access to everything else. And I do mean everything. No one has ever heard him/her speak either. All instructions are written. The _Shujin_ lives in solitude, meditating and training. Must have one helluva of a social life. I don't think that he/she even leaves the _Kyokai's_ base. Forget having a social life.

Damn it... I don't want to drag Ma, Keiko, or Kuwabara into this... This is my fight and mine alone. I suppose I could go to the _Kyokai_ and see what would happen... Though I would probably end up killing every _hitokiri_ in there as well as myself. Was there no way to get out of this besides ending it in a slaughter? I have, well, had, friends there. Heh... Wonder if they miss me? Probably not... And knowing the other _Shidosha_, they will try to frame me for Kumo's death... The other hitokiri will try to avenge him themselves. Even if he was not the strongest, Kumo was highly respected. He came up with the _Inazuma-ha Ito Gijutsu_ on his own. The only person he ever taught that technique was Shinkiro, who taught me in turn. Kumo had other students, who he taught the regular _Hitokiri Ito Gijutsu_... But I am the only one alive now who can use it, I suppose. He might have taken on another apprentice that would, in time, learn it. But it had been only a year. Even if he had been teaching an apprentice, he or she would not even be a fourth of the way through his or her training. I suppose I will teach my own apprentice all my arts when I select one...

"YUSUKE!" l was jerked out of my thoughts when I heard my name. Perfect, I did not want to deal with a demon right now... I turned off the water and pulled on my robe. Quickly and carelessly towel drying my hair so that it was just somewhat dripping wet and not completely so, I shook my head so my hair looked somewhat groomed. Exiting the bathroom, I slowly made my way to the living room. Damn... I really, REALLY didn't want to face anyone right now... Especially Hiei.

"Yeah?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow when I saw them. Why was Kurama here a day early?

I blinked when I realized they were staring at me. My eye twitched. Knocking them both in the head, I waited for them to come to their senses. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

Just my luck.

Kangae: "thought" or "mind"

Hebi: snake

Kumo: spider

_Shujin_: master

_Shidosha_: leader of _hitokiri_

_Hitokiri_: assassin

Doku: poison

Shinkiro: mirage

'ha: Kumo's nick name for Yusuke/Yurei'ha

Naifu: knife

_Kyokai_: guild

_Inazuma-ha Ito Gijutsu_: Lighting Blade Thread Technique

_Hitokiri Ito Gijutsu_: Assassin Thread Technique

Votes:

Hiei: 9

Jin: 5

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 13

NOTE: 11: 59 p.m. tonight, the voting's over!


	27. Beginning

I hesitantly took a step back. I did not like the looks in their eyes. They were just staring at me. I could've sworn Hiei gave me the once-over. Before I could blink, I was pushed against the wall as Hiei's lips crashed against mine. I had hit my head on the wall, and couldn't help but groan a little in pain. As soon as my lips had parted, his tongue entered. My eyes widening, I pushed him off.

"What the hell!" I shouted at him, my first kiss! And he didn't even ask! Though... It didn't feel that bad... OH CRAP! I did NOT just think that!

He just smirked. Then I realized... Oh no... That... pervert... He had removed my robe. Deciding it was a good time to get the hell out of there, I was about to run, when Kurama suddenly grabbed me and more or less threw me onto the bed. Crap. Judging from the look in their eyes, they're in the heat. Damn... I sighed. There was no way I was going to be able to escape two sex-seeking demons... Fuck.

Wrong thing to think.

For Hiei was suddenly astride me, gently leaving a trail of butterfly kisses from my lips to my collarbone. My skin tingled from where he had touched me.

Every after that was a blur. A sweet, heady scent that filled the room that caused my body to throb with wanting.

Hiei and Kurama shedding their garments.

Hands gently caressing me.

"Please Yusuke..." I heard someone's deep, husky voice beg in my ear.

The sharp unbearable pain that made me cry out as one of them entered me, then the wave after wave of pleasure as he slid in and out, harsh and deep. My body winding up like a spring and then unwind after I screamed out, in orgasm as I threw my head back, thrashing.

A cry of ecstasy.

Another body falling upon my own with a sigh of contentment as he softly kissed me.

Hands gently running through my still-damp hair and caressing my flushed skin.

A gentle murmur of reassurance.

Two sharp stings of pain just above my collarbone, then another two, on the other side.

Blood pouring into my mouth as I lapped it from two completely separate wounds, the two different tastes mixing in my mouth, the coppery metallic taste ever so sweet...

Darkness, and warmth as I remembered no more other than the sweet smell of roses, gardens, a forest, and fire.

I slowly opened my eyes. I had never felt so sore in my whole life... But there was a feeling of... completion and a sense of safety that up for it. I closed my eyes again as I felt a pair of warm hands gently massage my shoulders, and let them. They stroked, massaged and moved so expertly over my sore muscles, causing the feeling of pain to fade.

What had happened?

"That better?" Kurama asked softly, but his voice was cracked, as if he had been crying.

"Yeah." I lazily glanced at him through one eye. "What's wrong?"

He blushed. "Um... Well..."

Then it hit me as all sense of contentment and relaxation flew out the window. I was naked. And apparently, so was Kurama and Hiei, who was on my other side, watching impassively, though his eyes told another story.

And... Those vague images did not help much.

"I take it... Was you first time?" Kurama asked, tentatively.

I nodded. "Though I doubt it was yours."

He bowed his head. "In this body, yes. Otherwise... No." He glanced sideways at Hiei, who shook his head. I raised an eyebrow. He had also been a virgin...?

Hiei looked me straight in the eye. "I..." He stopped, then closed his eyes as he lowered his head. "I regret my actions last night, Yusuke. Even in lust, I should have been able to control myself. But... That does not excuse for what we have done." He looked at me again. "And... To make matters worse..." He glanced at a spot just above my clavicle. "We marked each other." I raised an eyebrow. What did he mean by that...? Then I saw the bite marks, probably a mirror image of my own. Had... I caused that...? Looked like I bit him with fangs... The marks had healed, but there was a scar from each puncture wound. I glanced at Kurama, who had a wound similar to Hiei's. Crap.

When I had been training to become Spirit Detective, I had to research demonic customs, just so I could understand the beings I would be hunting down and killing. Just like Koenma to order me to do that. Well, anyway, I had read something about mating rituals, in which the two demons would "mark" the other, via a hickey, as their mate. And, I suppose, property. Usually it was only one of the two, the stronger of the two who did the marking, but... I glanced in the mirror. I had one wound on each side of my throat. That meant... Damn. This could not be good.

Especially when Koenma finds out what has happened.

Kurama coughed, obviously trying to break the silence. "We should head to Spirit World." I nodded and sighed. I hate wearing high-collar shirts.

Taking a thorough shower to make sure I didn't smell of sex, for I didn't want any of the others, especially the delegates from the countries of Demon World, to think I had just... Whatever. I traced the wounds with my fingers in the mirror.

Actually... I was... Kind of glad this happened. I had known, for a while now, that both of the demons had... feelings for me. And I returned them, though at some points, the feelings for Hiei were slightly stronger. But I could never just disregard my feelings for Kurama. And... I doubted I had long left to live, anyway. It was for the best, that they... Knew that I returned their feelings.

With this decided, I discarded my high-collared shirt, and grabbed another one if favor of showing off the marks. I had nothing to be ashamed of. If I hadn't wanted it, I would have fought harder. I smirked. How would Koenma react if I kissed either Hiei or Kurama in front of the delegates...? My smirk widened evilly. I would just have to wait and find out.

Hiei sighed and reclined in his chair. He knew Yusuke didn't really mind the fact that they had taken advantage of her, hell, she even enjoyed it, but... He sighed again. He just wanted to know what she really thought of them. He knew Kurama was thinking along those lines as well. He heard her door open and glanced up. Then stared.

I grinned at the two demons' stares. "Well? What do ya think?" I was wearing the same fighting outfit I had worn in the fights against Team Dr. Ichigaki and Team Masho. Though I had added a loop to my utility belt that held all of my equipment for the sword Hiei gave me. (Chapter 7) And instead of the green wristbands, I had put bandages on to hide the various bruises that had resulted from last night. And I had replaced the white coat for a black cloak, which currently had the hood pulled back.

Kurama smiled. "You look lovely."

Hiei rolled his eyes, but had an appreciating smirk on his lips.

"Thanks." I tossed them each a cloak. "Let's get going. Don't want Koenma on our backs for being late." I rolled my eyes.

After a quick run to a portal, and through various passages through the palace Koenma worked in, we came to a conference room. We had masked our auras a while back, as well as pulled up our hoods, so we waited for Koenma to join us. He did, a few minutes later.

"Took you long enough." I muttered to the god.

"Oh, be quiet Yusuke!" He glared at me. He didn't see it, but he knew I just grinned and followed him in. The other delegates were already there.

Hiei, Kurama and I took our places behind Koenma. I glanced the crowd and raised an eyebrow when I saw Jin, Touya, Chu, Rinku... and two other people who appeared to be Shishiwakamaru and Suzuka with Raizen's representation, including the demon himself.

I stood silently, just wishing the meeting could start and we could get the heck out of there. Then something caught my eye. I looked at it; it was a thread... A spying technique used by the _hitokiri_... They were already making their move? It was too soon, and it held to much importance for them to interfere here...

I glanced at Hiei, who nodded and took my place besides Koenma as I left, running silently down the hall, following the string. Judging from the way the technique was used, it was either a younger, less experienced assassin, which was equal to Jin's level of fighting, or the assassin was acting like he, or she, was of a lower rank. Though I guessed it was the former.

But who ever it was, they were skilled. They had managed to place a spy-thread in a room with a dozen high-class demons and they hadn't noticed, or pretended not to notice.

Well, whatever it was, my fight against the hitokiri for my freedom was just beginning. And it was not going to be pretty. Not at all.

_Hitokiri_: assassin

Votes:

Hiei: 9

Jin: 5

Kurama: 1

Hiei and Kurama: 14

And the winner is Yusuke/Hiei/Kurama! Not really that surprising. lol. They had been a head for a while.

Thanks to everyone who has voted.

I'll make the one tomorrow longer; I'm very busy today. Sorry.


	28. Shujin

I continued to follow the thread, my apprehension growing. When I finally came to the end, I saw the cloaked figure and closed my eyes. Judging from the symbol on the cloak, it was the _Shujin_. Looks like my guess was wrong.

"So you came, Yurei'ha." That voice...

I cocked my head to the side, questioningly. "Kangae...?"

He pulled back his hood, smiling. "Who else?"

I blinked. What was going on...? _Kangae_ was the _Shujin_!

Answering my unspoken question, he sighed and began to speak. "Yes... I am. As for what is going on... Yurei'ha... No, Yusuke..." he stopped. Took a deep breath, then continued. "I suppressed your memories, hoping you could escape the life of a _hitokiri_... But... As you know... Fate determined it otherwise..." He laughed slightly. "Every generation... There have been more children taken into the ranks of assassins. I was the first. You were the best. I had hoped... That you could escape my fate... Escape what happened to me... But you are probably wondering... Why the _Shujin_ decided to work beneath a child assassin." His hazel eyes bored into mine. "You remind me so much of my younger self, Yusuke. And I know that you won't betray our secrets. Most of the other _hitokiri_ realize that. So, you have my permission to step down as _Shidosha_ of the _Kyokai_, if you wish to accept it. If not, well..." The he'd have to kill me was left unspoken.

However, if I revoked my status as Shidosha... I would have to give up my knives... That was something I did not want to do, but I did not want to fight Kangae either...

I swallowed. "What would happen... If I 'retired'?"

He smiled. "Considering the services you gave us in the past, you will be allowed to keep your equipment and memories, in exchange for your promise to help the _Kyokai_ in any event if they call upon your services."

"What kind of 'help'?" I couldn't refrain from asking. I was not going to agree to something I would regret later.

"Maybe an assassination or two."

"As long as it is not someone I know."

"Deal." He nodded. "Thank you for your cooperation." He turned to leave, then paused. "I know what happened with Kumo... That he killed himself. If any one of the other _hitokiri_ wishes to get 'revenge' for his death, they will be taken care of." He finished as he walked away. "If you ever wish to visit us, at the _Kyokai_ or the _Hakata_, you have my consent."

"Thank you. Oh, and Kangae?" He stopped and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"If anyone _hitokiri_ tries to assassinate any one of my friends, associates, and people I otherwise know, as well as try to botch this peace meeting, I will kill them."

He smiled. "I would be surprised if you didn't." He then left without another word.

I nodded and walked back towards the meeting, occupied in my thoughts. So Kangae was the _Shujin_. That was a surprising turn of events... But when he is either killed or replaced, the next one will be able to send whatever he wishes at me. Depending on who it is. And, depending on when Kangae is replaced, I could already be dead. Reassuring thought, there.

I paused at the doorway to the conference room. Now I just have to get rid of the feeling I just escaped from the frying pan and fell into the fire. Taking a deep breath, I entered the room.

And... Nearly got my eardrums blasted. Wincing, I took my place behind Koenma.

I raised my eyebrow. "I take it the negotiations weren't going so well in my absence."

"Just shut up, Yusuke." Koenma groaned.

I shrugged. "Whatever." Then looking up at the arguing Demon Lords, I took a deep breath. "SHUT UP!"

They stopped and stared at me. I coughed. "Thank you." I sat down.

Hiei rolled his eyes.

"Yusuke!" Before I knew it, the Wind Master was hugging me. "Long time no see!" I started coughing.

"Jin? LITTLE AIR!"

Jeez... What's with these guys and squeezing me half to death!

"Sorry!" He grinned. No he wasn't.

I couldn't help but smile. "I wouldn't really worry about it, but you do realize that we are in the middle of negotiations? I highly doubt this is the time to play catch-up."

He nervously rubbed the back of his head. "I guess you're right."

I just laughed as he took his seat. I glanced back at Hiei, who had stiffened, and was currently glaring death at Jin. I rolled my eyes. I appreciated the fact that he cared enough to be jealous, but Jin was like a brother, for _kami's_ sake. Kurama snickered slightly at Hiei's reaction. Rolling my eyes, I kissed Hiei on the cheek. His eyes widened as he blushed slightly.

"Grow up, Hiei." I muttered, taking my seat again.

Koenma, along with everyone else in the room (excluding Kurama, who was shaking from his attempts to hold back his laughter. But so far, he wasn't succeeding), stared. I blinked. "What?"

Jin just smirked and shook his head. I held back the urge to stick out my tongue at him. And the urge to flip him off. After all, I do have some sense of when not to act like a child, and this was not one of those times. I doubt that Raizen would appreciate it if Koenma's bodyguard flipped the bird at his son. The whole point of this meeting was to divert a war, not start one, which would probably happen if I did do either of those things... Oh well, I'll just hit him in the head next time I see him.

Koenma coughed. "So... back to the meeting...?"

I shivered as I glanced around. I knew that if a _hitokiri_ tried to take me out, as would the assassin, that if I didn't kill him, his fellows would, but I knew for a fact that a _Shidosha_ level _hitokiri_ was preparing to strike.

I saw the knife fly towards Jin. Crap. Grabbing a regular _kunai_ knife, I threw it. And in the same arc with my arm, I summoned my yurei-ha and threw them. I heard the sickening sound of them sliding into flesh a second later, the same instant my knife pinned the other one to the wall. The other assassin ran, I followed, right on his heels.

"Stay here!" I shouted to Hiei and Kurama. "There might be others!" Then I leapt out of the room. This guy was suicidal... Jeez. Just going against me generally meant death, and with the Shujin understanding that I would kill anyone trying to harm one of the people in the peace meeting... Yeah, he was looking for death. So he probably was just hoping to take me down with him.

I concentrated as I ran. I knew I was probably following him into a trap, but I was not going to let someone who tried to take out one of my friends get away with it. No mistake, even if it killed me, I was going to take this guy down. Though it was not him I was worried about... It was the other three auras just down the hall. I slowed to a walk to conserve my energy.

I inwardly groaned as I recognized them. The other three _Shidosha_, the best of the best. When we met, we always wore cloaks, so I had no idea of what they looked like, because even out of meetings and on assignments, and just walking around the _Kyokai_, they wore their cloaks.

They, however, knew what I looked like. I rarely worried about formality and so rarely wore my cloak. But... Yurei'ha was known for being conservative in a fight, to wait and see what her opponent was like. My hand slid towards my knives and sword. I would maintain that illusion, then strike. I would have to take out at least one, if not two, quickly to stand a chance. Damn... At least, I didn't really have to worry about other _hitokiri_ going after Hiei, Kurama and the others. I was probably their only target.

Hopefully.

The one who originally attacked me was clearly a _Shidosha_, but he, or she, underestimated me. I would have to take him out before he could heal. But I would wait.

Clearing my face of all emotion, I walked forward to meet the others. "You want me dead that badly?" I asked, feining a relaxed position.

Their answer was a wave of shuriken. I easily dodged them, and threw another _kunai_, instantly killing the injured _Shidosha_. And at the same time, I took out my set of secondary set of bells and, while they were slightly stunned, set up a _Kumo no Su_.

One tried to take a step forward, but was rewarded by the thread ripping through his leg.

"What the-!" Another one of them gasped when I revealed the threads. They could not move, if they did, or if a string snapped, it would break in such a way that it would rip their body to pieces.

"_Inazuma-ha Ito Gijutsu._" The last one breathed, fear evident.

I let the bell roll in my palm, it tinkled slightly. "Yes. What you are in now is a _Kumo no Su_, a spider web. The thirty-fifth, second to last move, of the hundredth, or last, form. Now, tell me, why did you attack?"

They did not answer. Though from the way their bodies were tensed it was because they thought I had killed Kumo. I sighed. "If I let you live, the _Shujin_ will punish you slowly, and death will be agony. And I am not into torturing... I'll make this quick." I positioned my hand under a thread, nail just beneath it. Then I ripped through it, as one, the strings snapped, ripping through the bodies before they even had the time to shriek. Blood flew through the air as the dismembered bodies fell to the floor; I let the now string-less bells fall to the ground as well. Holding back my tears, I walked back towards the conference room. I was just thankful they were wearing their cloaks so I did not see their faces. It made the kills seem less... real, for they didn't seem as human.

When I came back and closed the door behind me, I went back to my seat. Sad, for _Shidosha_, really. I didn't even need to use the final move of the final form on them to win, the _Inazuma-ha Ito Kumo no Su_. Which was pretty much the ultimate move of _Inazuma-ha Ito Gijutsu_. Had I just become so strong that I could beat them so easily...? Or did they just underestimate me severely? Shrugging it off, I glanced around the room. If all of them had attacked in here, it would have been messy. I kind of wish they had.

I glanced at Jin. "You all right?"

He shrugged, he still seemed kind of... shocked, I suppose. Grabbing my knife from the wall, I slid it back into my belt.

I glanced at Koenma. "With your permission, I would like to search the remainder of the palace to see if there may be any other _hitokiri_ or ninja." Koenma nodded and I walked to the door, but paused before exiting. "And you might want to get a crew of ogres to clean up the north eastern hallway." I left before he could question me further about why he should.

_Shujin_: leader of all _hitokiri_

_Hitokiri_: assassins

Yurei'ha: Ghost Blade

Kangae: "thoughts" or "mind"

_Shidosha_: leader of _hitokiri_, below _Shujin_

_Kyokai_: Guild

Kumo: spider

_Hakata_: Graveyard

_Kami_: God

Kunai: knife used by ninjas and assassins

Shuriken: throwing stars

Kumo no Su: Spider web

_Inazuma-ha Ito Gijutsu_: Lighting Blade Thread Technique

_Inazuma-ha Ito Kumo no Su_: Lightning Blade Thread Spider Web

Sorry that I wasn't able to update yesterday. But as promised, this one was longer.


	29. Betrayal

My footsteps echoed throughout the corridor as I walked. The silence, besides my footfalls, was disturbing. It was quiet, otherwise. Too quiet for my liking. My knuckles were throbbing, my Ghost Blades ready to materialize, signaling something wrong. Unlike at the Tournament, when my abilities were still redeveloping, they had throbbed due to my lack of control and intense emotion, but now... I glanced at my hands. They tingled... in warning. Something was definitely going to happen. And chances were... That it would end up with even more dead. Damn... I let the blades materialize beneath my skin, ready to shoot through at a moment's notice.

There was a reason that I was loud, and that was because I hated suspense. I hated silence. I hated stealth. True, I could utilize those skills, but only when I had to. I hated waiting for a target to become relaxed enough for a easy kill. I preferred a fight, I preferred how it was at the Tournament. Clear-cut rules, all the way to the bitter end, full out to the death fighting. How I managed to become a _Shidosha_, I will never know, considering this fact. But, I suppose, that was because of my all around superior skills, and no, I am not bragging. Okay... Maybe a little, but it is the truth. Nothing more, nothing less. I can be deadly quiet, if I need to, I can blend into the shadows like no other, I could remain completely silent, with my breathing so quiet that it could not be picked up by a security system. I could remain in a small, cramped spot for hours, waiting, completely alert and ready to finish the assignment. At least... I could as Yurei'ha. Yusuke Urameshi, on the other hand, was loud, obnoxious and slightly, okay, completely, arrogant. I could back my attitude in a fight, and I was the best street brawler at home, and not to mention the captain of the winning team at this year's Dark Tournament, _I beat Toguro_, for crying out loud. And he had been on the winning team... For what, fifty years now? Okay, I'll get to the point, I kick ass and a lot of other people know this. I kick even more ass now that I can use my former _Shidosha_ abilities as well as my more newly acquired ones, i.e. the various Spirit Energy techniques, so why they wish to put their lives on the line to get a crack at me, when I'm this high-strung and will not hesitate to kill, it is beyond me.

I glanced around, my hand straying towards my new samurai blade, my fingers resting on the hilt. Damn... I sighed. Well... Now or never...

My eyes narrowing, the yurei-ha shot from my hands, followed quickly by _shuriken_. There was a hiss of pain as my follower got hit with a throwing star and barely avoided the other projectiles. I raised an eyebrow. Well, at least this would be more entertaining than the other _Shidosha_. That fight had been frankly disappointing. My attacker's cloak fell off. If I had not put on the completely aloof and nonchalant expression that I wore during my assassination jobs, I would have fallen over in shock.

I paused a moment, trying to recollect my thoughts. "Nike...?" Named after the Greek spirit of victory, companion to the goddess Athena, the boy was Kumo's apprentice. I suspected, from the spider tattoo on his shoulder.

"Yurei'ha." He spat out my name. I didn't bat an eyelid.

"What do you want...?" I asked, leaning against the wall, the picture of indifference.

He glared at me. I paused, my mask slipping for a second. Nike was... crying? Yes... I glanced at his fists... And trembling as well, probably from fury, judging from his expression. I glanced at him, slightly confused. The Nike I remembered was a cool little bastard that had the skill and talent to become one of the _Shidosha_. Nothing riled him, nothing got past him. He never showed any emotion, and was unwavering loyal, and very intelligent, a perfect _hitokiri_ in those respects. But... The one thing that made him undesirable as an assassin was the fact that he had compassion. He was an orphan, I had trained him a little myself before I left the _Kyokai_. He was one of the children assassins, and was one of the best. But he refused jobs in which the target had children. Or a wife. Luckily for him, the politicians he was sent after had neither.

"Why... WHY DID YOU KILL HIM, YUREI'HA!" He shouted, tears streaming, unchecked, down his face. "WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO US!" My mask completely fell.

"You mean Kumo...?" I asked, my voice breaking slightly.

He nodded, tears still falling. "I don't want to believe it's you... But Kangae, even the _Shujin_ said it was!"

"WHAT!" I stared at him... Kangae... That bastard. I might have known he would pull this.

Flash back

"Yurei'ha!" I glanced behind me as Doku slowly walked after me. He only ran if his life, or one of his comrades, depended on it.

"Yeah?" I asked, turning around and grinning.

"It's about Kangae." I raised an eyebrow. My whole team had been functioning very well for the past few months and I was concerned for my comrade, if anything involved him.

"What about him? Is he ill or something...?" I asked, worried.

"No..." Doku's eyes bore into mine. "Yusuke," Uh-oh. He only called me by my birth name if it was important. "He... I don't know. But I have a bad feeling about him." And we both knew his bad feelings were never wrong. "Just... Be careful, okay, kit?" He asked, squatting so we were eye level.

"Aren't I always?" I asked, grinning.

He glared at me, though I could see the corner of his lip twitch as he tried not to smile. "Yurei'ha..." He growled half threateningly half playfully.

I smirked. "Relax. I will." I gave him a half-wave as I turned and left...

End Flashback

It all made sense... How else would the target have known that we were going to assassinate him? And while Kangae was gone, we were attacked. He must've tipped them off, and had the others killed. But he hadn't counted on me surviving, but he apparently had grown somewhat attached to me, so instead of killing me himself, he wiped my memories, so it would look like he was trying to protect me, but in reality, he was just getting rid of me. My eyes widened. The _Shujin_ position, he wanted it, and I was quite possibly the next candidate for it,

"So with me out of the picture..." I whispered my final thought aloud.

"I could become _Shujin_." I whipped around at the sound of Kangae's voice, quickly moving in front of Nike.

"You BASTARD!" I hissed.

He shrugged, a small smirk on his lips. "True..." He laughed.

I sensed Nike shiver behind me. _Chikusho_! I inwardly cursed. I couldn't fight him and protect Nike at the same time. "Nike... Run!" I shouted as I saw Kangae rush us and Nike's footsteps echoed off the corridor's walls. I glared at that betraying bastard. Just as his knife was about to stab right into the kid's heart, I moved in front of him again, the knife slicing straight through my left hand. Grabbing the hilt with my hand, I pulled it out of his grasp and kicked him in the stomach, sending him back. "Get out of here!" I shouted after Nike's retreating back. "AND GET BACK UP!"

Nike ran, tears streaming as he ran, the sounds of the battle raging behind him faded as he flew down the corridor, searching for help. He had been such an **_idiot_**! Yurei'ha would never leave her comrades behind, or kill them,. He had doubted her, and it was going to cost her. And perhaps him as well. He blinked once to clear his mind, and gritted his teeth. He _would_ find back up, he _would_ help her. It was the least he could do for doubting her. He increased his speed as he ran towards the strongest of the demonic auras, which all happened to be in one room, about a dozen strong demons in all. And if they would not help her...

His eyes flashed crimson.

_He would make them, even if it killed him._

We both leapt back, his knife still in my hand. I eyed him cautiously. Kangae was a master of mental manipulation. He could control someone without them even realizing it, and if they did, it was too late. He used their own minds against them. He was completely confident in his abilities, and could tear down his opponents just by talking to them. He was one of the best in interrogation and torture at the _Kyokai_, and that was saying something. He could have comrades, who had trained together, and nearly died together, fight each other to the death. He could turn the bitterest enemies into the closest friends. His full name was "mind controller" depending on how you translated it. That was how he got his name, using hypnotism, strategy, and wit. He was deadly, in every way imaginable. I could beat him, if I didn't let him get to me. But... That was his specialty. I had to end this, and quickly, before he could make me doubt myself... But the trouble is... The knife...

I pulled the said weapon from my hand, and examined it. _Kuso_... One of Kangae's concoctions was coated onto the blade. Probably a relaxant or hallucinogen. Tossing the knife to the side, I grabbed one of my own and tore the wounds on my hand open even further, creating a free flow of blood. Hopefully it would wash out most of the drugs. If not, I was probably as good as done for.

Hiei leaned against the conference room's walls, glaring at the door, just wishing Yusuke would enter and grin, saying, "Sorry I took so long." Then glance at Koenma and grin sheepishly, "I think you need to get another clean up team of ogres to the southwest wing."

He punched the wall in frustration, growling and muttering curses under his breath. What the _hell_ was taking so long!

His question was answered when a boy, probably not even eleven, rushed into the room. Judging from the aura, human.

He glanced around, almost frantically, and made a bee line straight for Hiei, shocking the said demon. "Please! You've got to help! My _sensei_, she's in danger!"

"What's her name?" Hiei asked, abruptly grabbing the boy's shirt. He had a sinking feeling he knew who it was.

"Yurei'ha!" He somehow managed to cough. "She's fighting the Shujin, and I don't think she can fight him much longer!"

Hiei, just as quickly as he had grabbed the boy, dropped him. "Dammit Yusuke!" He snarled as he ran out of the room, almost everyone, including Nike, on his heels.

I didn't know how long we were fighting, but it felt like an eternity. I had managed to get most of the drugs out of my system thanks to opening the wounds even more, but some had remained, and I could feel it taking effect. My movements were becoming slower, sluggish, resulting in getting more of the relaxant in my system every time he managed to draw blood and get the knife into the wound. Damn it... I thought as I felt the knife stab right into my stomach. Sorry, Hiei... I tried... Damn it! I'm not going down like this!

I forced myself to stand, breathing heavily, trying to clear my vision. No good. I closed my eyes and decided to use my hearing, if it would do any good. I heard thunderous footsteps behind me and opened my eyes, Nike, and... My eyes widened. HIEI! I saw Kangae smirk and grab a throwing knife. No... Those idiots...

"LOOK OUT!" I shouted, adrenaline pushing the heaviness out of my limbs. I threw myself in front of the boy as the blade hit me, just below the heart.

I coughed, blood trickling from the corner of my mouth. I grinned weakly at Nike. "You okay... kid?" I asked as my vision began to fade very quickly.

"Yeah..." He uttered, probably in shock. I smirked slightly, then fell back, feeling the last remnants of my vision vanish.

"Good."

"YUSUKE!" Hiei shouted as he caught her. He glared up at the smirking demon in front of him and tenderly laid her to the ground, letting his hand brush over her lips ever so slightly. He unsheathed his katana, eyes shining like burning blood. "You will die for that." He hissed.

The other's smirk widened. "I highly doubt that."

Touya raised a hand for his Shards of Winter, Jin's glare could've made Toguro run for cover as he raised his arm parallel from the ground for a Tornado Fist. Chu shifted so the ball of energy in his hand was easily created.

"We'll see." Kurama snarled as he pulled out his rose whip.

With a wild cry, Hiei charged, to be easily repelled. What the hell!

I was floating... In darkness.

"What's going on...?" I asked the blackness as I, seemingly, fell.

"You died." I turned around, as soon as I felt like I could.

I stared as I came to face with... Me. Okay, I grant that the reflection had white wild hair, demonic markings, and yellow eyes, but it was still me.

"And... Let me guess... You are my demonic blood...?"

The demonic me nodded and held out a hand. "Our friends, and mates, are fighting for their lives. Your human blood is worthless now... Will you accept me? If you do, you can fight." I looked at those fierce, bloodthirsty yellow eyes. A Battle Demon... Was that what I wanted to become...? Did I even have a choice...?

"I accept."

_Shidosha_: leader of _hitokiri_

_Hitokiri_: assassins

Yurei'ha: Ghost Blade, Yusuke's _hitokiri_ name

Yurei-ha: The name of the blades that materialize between Yusuke's knuckles, called this because they disappear once they hit their target and are the same blue color of her Spirit Energy, making it appear surreal and unearthly.

_Shuriken_: throwing stars

Kumo: spider

_Kyokai_: guild

Kangae: "thoughts" or "mind"

_Shujin_: Leader, of all _hitokiri_

Doku: poison

_Chikusho_: damn it

_Kuso_: shit

_Sensei_: teacher

Sorry it took me so long to update. I have had writer's block and my parent's have left the country and dumped me at my grand parents, and I am not exactly used to the kind of computer they have, so it took me a little while to adjust to it. But, here is the update, and I will send thanks you's and comment on your reviews when I get home, in about... five days. I might manage beforehand. In the mean time, I will try to update again, but no guarantees! I have to get my summer reading done among other things, so if I don't update for another week or so, please don't get too upset. I'm trying here. Plus I am sort of getting to the end of my original design for this series, but don't worry, it will continue for a little while longer. Who knows, I might get a few new ideas... And I will try to make the next update a little longer, maybe not as long as this one, but... I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry again for the delays. I can't help these things, after all, I'm only fifteen... I can't help it if my parents decide to go on vacation... I have no say in these matters.


	30. Demonic Blood

NOTE: I **_DO NOT_** know the episode with Yusuke's demon blood awakening goes, I'm winging it here, making it up as I go along, so, yeah, it'll be different. And, I am sorry that I couldn't get the page breaks in, I still have yet to figure that out on fanfiction... Sorry! I'll make some sort of page break here to show a change in point of view. And thanks to everyone who reviewed, all the comments were very encouraging.

Chapter 30

Nike's POV

He knelt beside the fallen _Shidosha_. He... Had failed. Letting his tears fall, he bowed his head and rested it against her neck. He heard something. He paused. Not letting his hopes get up, he hesitantly let his hand trail to her pulse point at her throat. Pressing his two fingers against it. His eyes widened. She was alive.

No one's POV

She lay there in complete darkness, eyes closed. Slowly, almost completely silent, her heart began to beat. The sound of her beating heart grew louder, stronger, until it was pounding in her ears. Her nose twitched. She could smell it... BLOOD! Her eyes snapped open, a fierce gold, thirsting for blood and death. This was Yusuke Urameshi, as a Battle Demon. And nothing could stop her now. Nothing but her soul. And chances of her conscious over riding her demon blood were slim... At best.

She got to her feet, ignoring the fact that she was bleeding, the relaxant having no more effect on her. Within seconds, her wounds had healed as she leapt into the fray, past allies and straight towards Kangae, for, even though his illusions made it seem otherwise, he was the one bleeding the most. An unearthly shriek tearing past her lips, she charged him, claws and fangs bared. He barely had enough time to dodge her attack. Even though he had mostly dodged it, they still left scratches on his chest, blood beaded around the edges of the wounds.

Her friends backed up, unsure of how to handle the current situation. Kangae was slightly relieved at that, though judging from those lines and markings on her body, she was a battle demon. He would not leave this building alive. He gritted his teeth and grabbed his knives. She smirked with a feral glint in her eyes, blood lust radiated off of her in waves. The intensity nearly left him light headed from the fact that it was directed at him, and that it was obvious that _she_ _wanted him dead_. She snarled, a slight smirk on her lips as she licked the few drops of his blood off of her claws. Her eyes glowed as the sheer raw power surrounded her, causing the remnants of her clothing and now white hair fly around her, wildly, untamed.

This was it.

He, yet again, barely dodged her claws, though he had no time to counterattack with his weapons. _Chikusho_!

Yusuke's POV

I laughed as I attacked, relishing the feeling of his blood against my claws, the feeling of _sheer raw power_ rushing through my veins. He was pathetic next to me. I was toying with him, and he could barely dodge my attacks. And if he blocked them, it resulted in my drawing of more of his blood. I grinned maniacally. This... _Was_ **_fun_**.

Sort of Kangae's POV

It took all of his energy _just to dodge or block her attacks_. Her attacks were powerful, and it was wearing him down. A lot. He could not last much longer. And if she brought out her Spirit Energy, he was finished. He could barely stand against her physical attacks, forget any others. He was as good as dead if she did. And... Judging from the amount of energy surrounding her, she was about to bring out one of her aura attacks.

Yusuke's POV

I concentrated my aura into my finger tips and smiled at Kangae. He was rooted to the spot. I smirked, licking my lips. The mouse... Was cornered. I lifted my hand and let the aura explode from my body, not even bothering to call it forth with an incantation. I did not need it.

Sort of Kangae's POV

Shit.

Her attack ripped through his chest and bone like it was wrapping tissue. He stumbled back, blood pouring from the wound.

Kangae's eyes were wide, in shock, and fear. He had only seen Yurei'ha like this once, when Doku and the others had died. She had killed their murderer then. He had known she had demon blood, for he had seen her with it dominate once, at their botched assassination, but... Even then, that blood lust was nothing compared to this... Even when she was fighting Toguro... He shivered, hunched over, and threw up from what he saw in her eyes. He was trembling, when he looked into those pitiless eyes, he had seen... Seen what she was going to do to him. He tried to reach her mind, but it was futile. There was only bliss... Bliss that she was about to kill him. Kangae kneeled, clutching his wounds, from which blood was pouring without any sign of slowing down, each breath caused him to gasp in pain. He didn't have much time left... If... If he had remained loyal... Remained one of the best under the best _Shidosha_... He might've lived to see a few more centuries...

Gasping for breath, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, he looked up at the demon who was in front of him, raising a hand for a finishing blow. He smiled and laughed, though it was more of a cough, at the irony. Still laughing, he smiled up at her. She deserved the title _Shujin_. He never had. All it had taken was his death for him to realize that.

"DIE!" Yusuke lunged, claws extended, ready to kill. Kangae closed his eyes, waiting for the blow to come. It never did.

He opened his eyes. Her hand was one inch, if even that, from his heart. She was struggling internally. That much was clear. She was strong enough to fight her demon blood...? She really did deserve the title of _Shujin_. Not many half breeds could control their demon blood, and considering how strong the Battle Demon blood was, and the fact that the remaining half of her blood was human... If she was able to hold back her demonic instincts when the body was in complete blood lust, ready to make a kill... Her soul, and human blood, was much stronger than normal... But her soul... He looked at her. Her eyes were half closed, alternating between her normal chocolate brown and yellow. Her hair and become streaked with black, the white mixing with the raven colored strands. If she could revert back to a half-blood form, she would be in control, but... Even if she did... He was still going to die. If not by her hand, it would be by one of her mates. He glanced at the _kitsune_ and fire/_Koorime_ _youkai_, they were strong. **Very** strong.

He would not live much longer. But... The least he could do was aid Yusuke in this struggle. Her demon blood had probably never meant to surface, and it was his fault it had. He would help her, only if she was losing the fight in herself. His intrusion would do more harm than good, things like this must be done naturally. And from the looks of it, Yusuke was holding her own against her internal demon.

Yusuke's POV

Red. Red everywhere. No. Blood throbbing in my head... Adrenaline in my system... Feral laughter on my lips... My claws extended... Ready to kill... I would not... STOP! The demon me glanced at me. She... Yurei'ha... I suppose was what she was... Glared at me.

"You wanted this, Yurei'ha!"

"No... I didn't... I'm not Yurei'ha... Not anymore... YOU are... Not me... And... Even though... He _did_ betray me... Us... I'm... Not going to let you kill him..." I managed to gasp out, the effort of holding her back... Ow... I felt blood slid down from my temple.

"You can't suppress nature! This state is what you really are!" Yurei'ha growled, obviously irritated with me. Too bad for her.

"Just watch me!" I snarled back at her. No... I wasn't going to go back to being a cold blooded murderer. Not now. Not ever.

She disappeared, in a flash of blue light.

Everything was blue... I felt my claws recede, if only a little, as did the fangs. The strength running through me lessened, but remained. I felt... I felt _human_ again... _Sane_ again...

I blinked.

The crimson in my vision had faded and returned to normal. My hair... felt MUCH longer. I glanced at my hands, the fingertips were covered in blood, but not the whole hand, which it would've been if I had made a kill. I let out a breath of relief.

I glanced at Kangae, who was in front of me, covered in blood, and... My eyes widened at the amount of blood gushing from his chest wound. He smiled weakly.

"It's what I deserve... Yusuke."

I glanced at him, then at a few of the ogres in the back ground. "Take him to the medical ward. Make sure he can't escape." I barked out. "And also find a cleaning crew." I glanced around the hallway, everything was covered in blood.

I groaned. Third hallway in one day... Koenma is going to kill me.

I felt something run into me, hugging me. I glanced down at the boy wrapped around my waist. Nike...

"Hey." I gently peeled him off and knelt so we were eye level.

Tears were still running down his face. I smiled and wiped them off.

"Hey, take care of yourself, all right, kid?" I asked as I stood and began to walk away. I glanced at Hiei and the others. "Take care of yourselves. I don't know when I'll be back, but feel free to hunt me down if you need me." With that, I turned and silently exited Koenma's palace. I couldn't stay in this unstable condition.

Fast forward to a month later

I let out a breath as I successfully reverted back to human form. I leaned against a tree. I have been training since the conferences to control my demon form... And I have made some progress... But not enough to return to civilization. If I see a drop of blood, or smell it, I feel the blood lust rise again. I can barely control myself. I sighed. I'll admit, being a half demon has it's advantages, I can run all day without tiring now. I have large reserves of aura, and... My heightened senses are a nice change. Though, I will probably curse them when I get back to the city.

I groaned as I opened the communicator compact Botan gave me, and was faced with the cheerful Grim Reaper herself. Great. Exactly what I need. A blood thirsty demon in me, and a cheerful deity of death talking to me. I really hope my control is sufficient, if I meet Botan face to face, her peppiness might tick me off enough that... Yeah. Don't want to think about it.

"Hiya!" She cheerfully chirped.

I groaned. "Yes, Botan?" 'Say what you want before I kill you' was silently added in my voice tone.

Oblivious to the veiled threat, she began to blabber about who knows what, probably what was going on with Kuwabara and the others. "As I was saying, Kuwabara and Yukina are dating-" Hiei is probably planning an assassination attempt on the poor guy right now... "Shizuru is working for Koenma as a feeler for spiritual unrest-" I wonder if he pays her... "Hiei and Kurama have gone off to train-" So maybe not. Kuwabara might live long enough to date her for a little while, then. I thought, inwardly snickering. "And Koenma has decided to send you to Demon World." That would be- DEMON WORLD!

"WHAT THE FUCK!" I shouted into the compact.

Botan visibly cringed. "Koenma and Raizen have become allies... And he wishes to send you to Raizen's lands to be a dignitary."

I stared at her. "Has. He. Gone. Mad?" I asked. "I can barely control myself, literally, and he expects me to go to a foreign land and not cause any massive mayhem! What the hell is he on!"

She got a sweat drop. "Actually, it was Raizen's request. It turns out, he's a Battle Demon as well, and in exchange for him training you, he and Koenma are allies, in case a war actually does break out."

"_That's_ reassuring." I muttered.

Botan smiled happily. "Oh come on! You might have fun! One of Raizen's sons is Jin! Koenma made a request for him to show you around and Raizen accepted. Touya, Rinku and Chu are there as well."

I smirked. Hm... I might have some fun with this, if that's the case...

Botan suddenly got nervous, I suppose it's because of the expression on my face.

"I got to go, I'll meet you at Koenma's office to give you a briefing. There's a portal at Genkai's, see you later!" She quickly turned off her compact. I turned mine off as well. This presented... Possibilities. I grinned. This would be amusing... To say the least.

Vocabulary

Kangae: "Thoughts" or "Mind"

Doku: Poison

_Shidosha_: leader of _hitokiri_

_Hitokiri_: assassins

_Shujin_: leader of all _hitokiri_, the only rank above _Shidosha_

_Chikusho_: Damn it

_Kitsune_: fox

_Koorime_: ice demon

_Youkai_: demon

Note

Okay... Updates will be irregular, if at all, for the next week or so. But I will try to update every other day at least. And I told you I'd make this one longer. Thanks to all who have stuck with me this long. And, if anything is inconsistent or doesn't make sense, I apologize. I write at the spur of the moment. In the beginning of the series, I had no intention of making Kangae the _Shujin_ or a traitor. (I didn't even come up with the idea for a _Shujin_ yet) I came up with that completely in the last chapter, so I apologize if things are... Yeah. I write completely on a moment's inspiration, so... I think my subconscious might have planned this, but I hadn't originally, so, sorry if anything is incoherent.


	31. Tjiyan

Sorry I wasn't able to update as I had led you to believe. I won't be able to update again for a while, I have a summer reading list to do for Hon. English 10, but I will update (or at least try to) when I finish each book of the four I must read (this one of the four), then I will resume daily updates. I hope.

Start of Story

Hiei watched her go, but said nothing. He glanced at the bowed figure before him, Yusuke's fallen former comrade. He glanced at Hiei, eyes full of pain.

"I am to die, right?" He asked, voice low.

"That is for Koenma to decide." He replied, nonchalant.

Kangae nodded then sighed slightly. "Could you... Give a message to Yurei'ha...?"

Hiei raised an eyebrow, skeptic. He wanted to give a message to the person he just tried to kill...? Kangae took it as a sign to continue.

"Tell her... Tell her that she is the _Shujin_. The title and position was hers from the beginning." He removed a pendant from around his neck. The pendant itself was silver, with characters etched into the surface and was attached to a single black silken cord. The characters read "_Shujin_ of all _hitokiri_". "And... Give this to her." He handed him the pendant. Hiei gave a curt nod and walked off, leaving Kangae to face Koenma. And most likely death.

To Nike

The young _hitokiri_ waited patiently for the portal to the human world to open. He was going back to the _Kyokai_ and telling the elders what happened. They would not be happy, some of them, but most of the elders had trained Yurei'ha personally and knew her, at least a little. Chances were that she would be accepted as the new _Shujin_, but some of the _hitokiri_ would break off into an independent faction, but that always happened when a new _Shujin_ came to power.

There would probably be a few attempts on her life, but Nike was not too worried. The former _Shidosha_ was more than capable of taking care of herself in a fight. And a few others as well. She would have to appoint some new _Shidosha_, seeing as how she killed the other previous four. As the portal opened, he stepped through. The others would not like the news he brought. All he hoped was that they didn't take their frustrations out on him.

Yusuke's POV

I sighed as I walked through the dense jungle. When I see Koenma gain, I swear I am going to kill him.

Flashback

I quickly came to Genkai's and met up with the old hag, who I encountered before stepping through the portal.

"Hey, dimwit."

I glanced behind me at the sound of my mentor's voice. "What do you want, grandma?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She glared at me and punched me in the head. I let her. Rubbing furiously, I scowled. "What the hell was that for?"

"Shut up." She growled. "I have a few words to say before you go, an' ya better pay attention!"

I sighed, but met her eyes and let her continue her ramble about how if I died she'd have Koenma throw my soul into limbo and if I trashed Raizen's place, she'd kill me herself and follow through with the threat of what would happen if I died. After she finished, I inwardly sighed in relief, somewhat. At least she gave me a valid reason to keep the Grim Reaper waiting.

After she finished, she surprised me and abruptly hugged me. "Take care of yourself, Yusuke." She smiled as she turned and walked away. I blinked. Shrugging I stepped through the portal and appeared in Koenma's office.

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG!" Botan shouted at me.

I was nearly blown into the large double doors. "Genkai had to lecture me." I replied, checking if I still was capable of hearing in my left ear.

Koenma glanced at me sympathetically, and pretty much continued on what Genkai had said. I yawned.

He got an anime vein and got a evil gleam in his eye. Uh-oh. "You will be walking to Raizen's palace-" I glared at him as he continued to give me directions, rules on etiquette among other things. By the time he finished, my left eye had started to twitch.

End Flashback

_Yep. Koenma was dead._ Was my main thought as I sat down, completely covered in sweat and muck, and knowing that sadistic baby, he was sitting in his office chair watching me struggle through jungle/swamp on his screen. Sighing, I got up and leapt onto a tree branch and continued to leap from branch to branch. Sure beat walking. Covering the last couple of miles with ease, I came to plains. I leapt down from the final tree branch and stretched my legs out in a graceful run, the pendant Hiei gave me lightly bumping against my collarbone. Just before I had left, Hiei and given it to me, as well as Kangae's message. Well... Personally, I wish he had chosen someone else as _Shujin_. I barely had control over my _Shuha_, forget the _Kyokai_, but... What can I do about it now... Damn him. I think this is his final revenge. He knows how much I hate paperwork. And if he was alive right now, I'd kill him. But Koenma did that for me, in a highly civilized manner, no doubt. Probably chopped his head... Nah, that's what I'd do. More likely he injected his heart with an extremely lethal poison. These thoughts occupying my mind, I increased my speed and reached Raizen's capital city before noon.

Entering the gates without much trouble for I suspected Koenma informed Raizen of my entering the demon plane, I headed in the general direction of the palace. I glanced around the open-air market. It looked like Cairo or somewhere in Egypt, with all the hawkers and venders calling out to the crowds, trying to sell their goods. Though, glancing around, I saw a few of the people in the market were in worse condition when it came to hygiene than I was. But, feeling fit to kill, I sought out a bathhouse and cleaned up. Scrubbing myself clean in the cold water, I then entered the steamy sauna like room in the next chamber and slipped into the scented water. When I felt clean enough, and relaxed from the heat, I changed into my spare clothes. Pulling on my filthy cloak, just so I wouldn't be took noticeable; I reentered the market and continued my trek to the palace, while glancing at the various goods.

So this is what Jin, Touya and the others lived with in Demon World. Beat home, that's for sure. As I continued walking, I knew some of the others were staring at me, they could sense my human aura, seeing that was the form I was currently in. I figured I would attract attention whether I was in human or demon form, considering I was a Battle Demon. One stepped in front of me. His fangs were bared.

"How did a human get into Demon World?"

I raised an eyebrow. "A portal, how else?" I asked, crossing my arms in a relaxed, I-don't-want-a-fight manner. Though I knew I was going to get one, anyway.

"Smart ass."

I shrugged. "So I've been told. I'm just on my way to see Raizen, on behalf of my employer. So I have no say in the matter. If you'll excuse me, I need to pass."

To my surprise, the demon, who appeared to share a wolf demon, though he was human in form, grinned. "Heh. Not often a human is cocky enough to speak level with demons when they enter our world... Though I would be surprised if you did anything else, considering you _are_ Yusuke Urameshi."

I tensed. How did he know...?

Sensing my thought, apparently, he raised his hands and smiled disarmingly. "Hey, relax, I didn't mean anything by it." He grinned. "You saved me from becoming soul fodder for that bastard Toguro."

"You were at the Tournament...?"

"Yeah. Great fight, though." He smiled. "I'm Tjiyan, by the way. Just call me Tji for short."

"Pleasure." I returned the grin as we shook hands, then glanced towards some of the other demons slowly approaching.

"Tjiyan!" He turned and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"What the hell do you want Curan?" He growled. I glanced from the two, from what I could tell, they were of rival clans, not too surprising, seeing Curan appeared to be a cat demon of some type, and Tjiyan had either won their last fight, or he was going to put him down for conversing with a human. The thing was, they were both A-class demons, though Tjiyan seemed to almost be S-class, so this could get out of hand.

Curan smirked. "Associating with a human? That's just your style."

Tjiyan just smiled. "Just as yours is to back stab." He returned without any hint of malice. Obviously stating a fact.

"Bastard!" Curan rushed Tjiyan and I leapt out of the way, the wolf demon could obviously take care of himself.

They traded blows for a moment, when Curan got it in his head to attack me. Sighing, I dodged his blows and kicked him in the stomach, and then in the groin. He fell to his knees. I squatted so we were eye-level. "I heave no desire to fight A-class demons, so leave me out of your brawls." I stood and turned towards Tjiyan, who was just howling with laughter at the look on the cat demon's face. I smirked. I had to admit, that look of pure rage was priceless.

Kangae: "thought" or "mind"

Yurei'ha: Yusuke's assassin name, Ghost Blade.

_Shujin_: leader of all _hitokiri_.

_Kyokai_: Guild

_Shidosha_: rank just below _Shujin_.

_Shuha_: sect

And I apologize; I am using a lot of literary license in this chapter and from now on, because, quite frankly, I have no idea of how the Yu Yu Hakusho series continues from after the Dark Tournament. I am going to make stuff up as I go, so, just bear with me. You'll see enough blood shed soon enough, and maybe a lemon in later chapters, though not for a while, I have a few things in mind that might prevent that, but we'll see what happens.

Sorry that it took so long to update.


	32. Conflicts

Sorry for the typos in the previous chapter!

Words in parenthesis are basically thoughts in the background. Kind of like saying something under your breath.

Start Story

Tjiyan and I continued towards the palace, leaving Curan behind in a rage. He glanced at me and smirked. "That look on his face was worth the insults." He laughed.

I shrugged, but smirked as well. "I'd like to see the look on his face if it was Jin in that position. He'd have no idea of what the Wind Master was talking about."

He raised an eyebrow. "You know Jin?"

"And I thought you were at the Tournament!" I teased. "After our fight, we, I guess you could say, became friends. We know each other enough to go out of our way to exchange some friendly banter when we see each other, at least." I finished seriously.

Tji glanced up at the clear sky, a thoughtful expression on his face. "The Wind Master is a friendly kind of guy. Unless you piss him off." He shuddered.

"I can believe that." I stretched and yawned slightly. "So... Tell me, why is a A/S-class demon taking interest in little old me?" I asked, my voice light in a somewhat singsong manner, just to make the question less inquisitive.

He let out a bark-like laugh, presumably from my tone. "I was bored and in want of some intelligent conversation." Had this been a manga, there would've been a heart after the sentence.

Either this guy was somewhat insane or he just didn't give a damn about much.

"So... I take it you want to get to the palace?" He glanced at me, his golden eyes laughing.

I shrugged. "If I don't, my paycheck will probably take a hit." Then I added under my breath. "Not like I get one anyway..."

Tji snickered. "Yeah, I've heard Koenma is stingy with funds."

"No... He's just a pacifier sucking baby that likes to make my life miserable." I somehow managed to say this with a straight face.

Tji was howling with laughter. "Yeah... I can believe that." He managed to say, wiping tears from his eyes. "All right... C'mon. I'll show you a short cut to Lord Raizen's palace." He gasped when he got his laughter (somewhat) under control.

Snickering myself, I followed him through the bazaar-like market. But, unfortunately for me, trouble was just around the corner. As usual.

A snake demon moved in front of Tjiyan, who tensed. The aura rising from the python was full of bloodlust. I glanced around. We were surrounded. And judging from the looks on their faces, they were not happy. Apparently a lot of demons have lost to Tjiyan (or he owed them money), speaking of Tjiyan, he was rubbing his eyes in an agitated manner. "Oh hell..." He muttered, sighing.

I raised an eyebrow as the python, in human form, stepped forward. I stayed as inconspicuous as I possibly could. "Tjiyan! You bastard!" He hissed.

He gave them a bored look. "What?"

"I'm gonna kill you!"

"You couldn't the last time we fought, and I doubt you will be able to now."

Idiot... Egging him on like that... Though... On second thought... I would've said pretty much the same thing myself. Sighing, I grabbed a _kunai_ knife as the demons charged. B rank and up. _Chikusho_. Koenma's not goin' to be happy when he hears about this.

Leaping into the air to avoid being bitten, I decided to sheath my knife, and instead, I grabbed a handful of _senbon_ needles. Targeting the weak points on my attacker's body, I threw them, instantly knocking the guy out. I leapt into the way, doing the same to the others.

Getting back to back with Tjiyan, I shouted over the mayhem, "What the hell did you do to tick these many people off?"

He grinned cheekily. "Won a fight."

"Fantastic." I groaned, knocking another snake out with a well-placed kick. "Bloody fantastic!"

At Raizen's Palace

Jin paced anxiously. Unable to stay still, much to Touya's annoyance. The Ice Master sighed as he tried to concentrate on his book. Though the Wind Master was rarely still for more than a minute, tops, this was extreme, even for him. He was going to put a hole in the carpet at this rate. Though the fact that when Jin was anxious, he ate sugary things, well... Let's just say that the sugar-high did not help matters at all.

Jin drummed his fingers. Tapped his feet. Clicked his tongue. Hummed. Whistled. Jumped up and down. And in general, made a lot of smaller disturbances. Touya could definitely feel a migraine coming on. What _was_ taking Yusuke so long! He would go insane at this rate before the girl even showed up! Sighing, he marked his page and got up. Chu glanced at him and smirked. "Finally got to you, eh?"

Touya glared at him icily, only to have the expression changed to slight irritation when Jin suddenly appeared, his face centimeters from Touya's, while floating upside down. Yep. That migraine was well on its way. Jin flipped right side up and landed. "She should've been 'ere an hours ago!" He whined. "I'm goin' to go look for 'er!"

Chu grinned and stood. Rinku blinked as he woke up, seeing Chu's shoulder had been serving as his unofficial pillow for the last half-hour. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced around sleepily. "What's goin' on...?" The kid (as he will be in this fic) was not a morning person. Even if it was just waking up from a nap at three in the afternoon.

Jin grinned. "We're goin' ta go look for Yusuke!"

At the mention of the Spirit Detective, Rinku bolted up. She had become something of an idol to him since she had spared Chu at the Dark Tournament, seeing as how the aura alchemist was a big brother figure to him. She had even shown him some tricks with strings before they had left the island.

They soon left the palace and began to walk around the market, on the look out for any unusual aura. And that meant human. Touya glanced around. He kept this to himself, but he was also on the lookout for brawls. Knowing the half-breed, with her personality and the kind of friends she made, she was probably in a fight somewhere. And when he heard the shouts of "get that human" he sighed. And, as usual, he was right. Much to his dismay, and often amusement.

Yusuke's POV

I was getting pissed. So, throwing my last needles, I charged. Kicking and punching, I laid waste to the demons and finished the fight in seconds. Glaring at Tjiyan, who was looking _way_ to innocent, I sighed. As I said before, just like home. Next I'll be accused of lifting and... "TJIYAN!" I shouted as I saw another mob come towards us. He smiled weakly.

I sighed as I slipped into a fighting stance. Well... At least I was getting my exercise for the day. This time, I didn't bother being nice. I went for any weak spot, groin, temples, neck... In half a minute, they were all out cold. Not even out of breath, I continued to glare at him, only to be distracted when I heard a familiar voice call.

"Yusuke!"

I turned around, grinning. "Hey, Jin." Then raised an eyebrow. Then added, "The gang's all here." As I spotted Touya, Chu and Rinku.

Before I could say, much less do, anything...

_GLOMP!_

I collapsed under Jin's weight, laughing. "Jin... You are too heavy for that..." I managed to gasp out. I froze when I realized the position we were in. He was more or less straddling me, his face inches, not even, from mine. Our eyes met as I felt his warm breath on my cheek. His eyes... As blue as the sky he loved so... His bare, muscular (why the hell am I thinking this!) chest practically right against mine. I could feel his manhood (demonhood?) pressing against my entrance... I felt a light blush rise up in my cheeks_. 'What the hell! Yusuke Urameshi does not blush!'_ I was inwardly screaming. Managing to keep my voice calm and collected, I raised an eyebrow and gave him a look that clearly said "get off of me" as I said that in a more elegant way. "Uh... Jin? Mind getting off of me? I think the others are enjoying this sight a little too much." Elegant, my ass.

But I did have a point. Touya was just smirking slightly in a knowing way, Rinku was laughing his ass off and Chu had this grin on his face that I just wanted to tear off. And don't forget Tjiyan's not-so-subtle smile and comment, "Yeah, I'd say you know him too, Yusuke."

Jin sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as he got off of me. "Sorry!" He pulled me to my feet, his face as red as his hair.

I just rolled my eyes and smiled.

Jin's POV

We both froze. I... Couldn't 'ave moved if I wanted ta. I was captivated by 'er eyes. Darker than any chocolate. Full of pain an' wisdom, tha' shouldn't 'ave been there. Sadness, joy, pain, sufferin', guilt, fear. They were all in 'er eyes. 'Er breathin' had quickened slightly, barely noticeable. I stiffened slightly as I felt 'er breasts brush agains' mah chest. An' even more so when I felt mah pants tighten. Mah face must've been ah bright red as I got th' erection. 'Er cheeks ever so slightly turned pink as... Oh gods... She felt it! _Kuso!_ I barely heard 'er as these thoughts ran through mah head. Th' wolf demon's comment jerked meh outta mah inner conflict as I leapt up and rubbed th' back ah mah 'ead in embarrassment.

"Sorry!" I helped 'er ta 'er feet; ignorin' the knowin' looks from Chu an' Wolfie were sendin' meh. She rolled he' eyes, which was he' way ah sayin' "don' worry 'bout it". But tha' smile... said she was fine, but 'er eyes... So... Sad an' melancholy... What... What hell has she lived through...?

_Kunai_ knife: You should know what this is, if not, look at earlier chapters.

_Chikusho_: damn it

_Senbon_: acupuncture needles

_Kuso_: shit

Okay people... I just felt like writing, so I might throw in more updates, but I don't know. And for those wondering, Jin is going to get some action 'cause Hiei and Kurama aren't going to be around for a while, but nothing serious. And that's just because I love the Wind Master. Yes, it's incest, but I don't give a damn about that kind of thing 'cause if you like someone you like someone. Besides, if you really think about it, we're all related (however distantly) 'cause we all are descended from one couple, and Jin and Yusuke are only half siblings, so... yeah. Yusuke's human and Battle Demon while Jin is whatever his mother was, so Jin doesn't have the recessive blood really, not enough that it would be a problem in a relationship, so you really can't even call it incest... In this fic at least... As I believe I explained before... The only reason their blood was similar in the Tournament was because Yusuke's demon blood was just starting to surface.

... Did I over do the accent...? ...


	33. Acceptable?

NOTE: I DO NOT have ANY CLUE of how Mukuro, Yomi, or Raizen act. So please bear with me! I also have no idea of how Yusuke's meeting with Raizen goes, so I'm giving how I think it happened, so if you don't like, don't read!

... Names of people in a council (if there is one) along with a basic personality and political stuff about the country would be nice if you could supply them!

Yusuke's POV

I glowered at Tjiyan and Chu, who were still smirking about the incident a few minutes before. Taking a deep breath, I glanced at Touya. "So... How've you guys been since the Tournament?"

Touya smiled slightly. "I have been fine. Chu has been itching for another fight with you; Rinku desperately wants you to show him more techniques and Jin... Well..." He glanced at the Wind Master. "Jin has just been dying to see you. "

I raised an eyebrow and looked sideways at Jin, who was currently playing with Rinku, with Tjiyan and Chu laughing at their antics. "Glad it was not literal."

Touya smiled slightly.

A few minutes later, we entered the palace. "Oh... And just so you know... Suzuka and Shishiwakamaru are here as well." Touya quietly informed me.

I held back a snicker. "You mean the pompous, narcissistic samurai that needed a personality transplant and the clown who wore that ridiculous pink suit?"

"Tha's them." Jin grinned, somehow detaching himself from Rinku, who was holding onto his leg.

I smirked evilly. This could be interesting...

"The suit was NOT ridiculous!" Suzuka glared at me as he came out from an adjacent hallway.

"Sure it wasn't." I replied, scathingly. Then, deciding to lighten the mood, I grinned. "Seeing as how the Dark Tournament is over, why don't we start fresh? From what I heard, you did a favor for Kuwabara and Kurama, so..." I stuck out my hand and let my grin turn into a genuine smile. "I'm Yusuke Urameshi."

He glanced at me for a moment, seeming a little shocked, then shook my hand. "The Beautiful Suzuka." I barely managed to keep from commenting about the 'beautiful' part. "And THAT-" He jerked his other hand towards the blue-haired, magenta-eyed samurai sulking in the corridor- "Is Shishiwakamaru."

"Nice to meet ya." We let our hands drop to our sides. "So... When am I going to meet Raizen?" I asked all assembled.

"Now, if you like." I turned around to see the said demon.

I stared. The first thought to cross my mind was 'he looks like a guy from some heavy metal band...'. As if sensing my thoughts, he smiled and walked up to me.

"You must be Yusuke. Koenma has said many things about you."

"Most of them are about how insubordinate I am, right?" I asked, smiling slightly.

He laughed. A deep sound, a genuinely amused one. "Some of them." I like this guy already. "The majority of them actually were praising you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Did the baby have a fever when he was saying this?"

The others snickered, while Raizen chuckled. "I would not know. We were communicating through the screens." So Raizen has something similar to the screen in Koenma's office? That would explain how he knew I was coming.

He suddenly got serious. "Yusuke, I need to speak to you. Privately." I nodded.

Glancing at the others, I grinned. "When I'm done, you'll get your rematch, Chu." Said aura alchemist grinned.

"Wha' 'bout me!" Jin indignantly glared at me, though his eyes told another story.

"You'll get your chance, Jin." I smiled. I cocked my head slightly in confusion when he suddenly blushed and turned away. Shrugging it off, I followed Raizen to the throne room.

In Throne Room

Raizen and I sat across from each other at an Arabian style table. We sat on cushions facing each other across a low table. "What do you know of your parents, Yusuke?" He asked suddenly.

I blinked. A rather personal question, but... Whatever. It had some relevance, or Raizen wouldn't be asking. He seemed like a no-nonsense type of guy. "My mom, she's a human. My dad... He was obviously a Battle Demon. And what from I know of Battle Demons, you are the only full-blooded one that has been alive for the past several hundred years."

He nodded.

I took it as a sign to continue. "So... My only logical guess, along with Koenma's choice to have you as an ally, would be the fact, I am guessing, that you are my father."

Raizen nodded again and smiled slightly. "Koenma said that you were intelligent. Good. At least I won't leave an idiot behind as an heir."

I glared at him. "You speak as if I have no choice in accepting your lands as your heir. Do you not have another child with Battle Demon blood?"

He shook his head and sighed. "No, Yusuke. My kind's blood is highly recessive, but very powerful. I have had many children, Jin among them, but none have inherited my bloodline. And only Battle Demons can rule."

I closed my eyes. Me, ruler of the _Kyokai **and**_Raizen's lands, and the only heir on top of that. This could get complicated.

"So... I take it I am also here to learn how to rule a country?"

"More or less." Was Raizen's reply.

I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Who would have thought, me, Yusuke Urameshi, top dog of Sara Jr. High, Spirit Detective, was heir to a third of Demon World? The masses would be _so _pleased.

Seeing my reaction, he started to speak again. "Yusuke, lessons won't begin for another three days. Acquaint yourself with the palace and market. Get any business you need to get done, finish it. And when the time is up, I'll show you everything you need to know. In fact..." He paused. "I'll show you everything I know. In exchange, either when I die or think you ready, you'll take the Throne. Is this acceptable?"

I looked him straight in the eye. "Do you expect to die anytime soon?"

He shook his head, white hair fluttering from the movement.

I closed my eyes for a moment. All in all, this information didn't surprise me, for I had expected it to a level, but I did not really want to rule a country as it went into war. But... If I didn't agree... Chances were that I would never reach my full demonic potential. The only thing known about Battle Demons outside of this place was that they loved battle, hence the name. And Raizen was old, so if he meant to show me everything... I opened them.

"I agree."

Glossary

_Kyokai_: Guild


	34. Bloodied Knife

I walked down the hall. Three days. Three days to go to the _Kyokai_ and hope they accepted me as the new _Shujin_. Shit, fuck and damn. I was brought out of my thoughts when I walked right into Jin. Crap.

Rubbing my head, I glanced up at the Wind Master as he stood. He pulled me to my feet. I winced slightly as I felt a light throb on the side of my head. No concussion, well, that was some good news. "Sorry about that." I tentatively rubbed the sore spot on my scalp.

"Don' worry 'bout it!" Jin cheerfully grinned, then sobered up a little when he saw how... well... I guess, agitated I was. "Wha's up? Ye look like ya swallowed a-" I looked at him blankly as he named... Whatever that was. I had no idea of how he managed to pronounce that, so I won't even bother trying to spell it. Seeing my confused look, he clarified. "A plant." He grimaced. "It's extremely sour."

I nodded. "Which explains why you dislike it."

He smirked and lifted his hands so they were behind his head. "Well, wha' can I tell ya, I'm ah sweet guy a' heart!" He grinned. I blinked once, then it dawned on me.

"That was a really poor joke, Jin."

He shrugged. "I know. But it was worth ah try, seein' 'ow serious ya are." He looked me straight in the eye. "But seriously, wha's up?"

I sighed. "Put it this way, I'm heir to a third of Demon World." His face paled slightly as he sighed.

"Ah thought so. From th' way ya were beatin' the bastard traitor o' yours, when ya were all white-haired an' 'ad freaky golden eyes, I though' you migh' be a Battle Demon." He then grinned. "C'mon, Chu's dyin' for his fight."

I nodded, but I knew I looked less than enthusiastic.

He glanced at me, suddenly somber. "An' if ya need me for anythin', an' I mean _anythin'_, I'm 'ere for ya." The silent, "_an' not jus' 'cause yer mah sister"_ was clear from the timbre of his voice.

I smiled slightly, though somewhat sadly. "Thank you... Jin."

He grinned. "Don' mention it."

At the Arena

I glanced around and saw Tjiyan. "You're still here...?" I asked him, somewhat surprised.

He pouted. "Come now, Yusuke! From the way you greeted me one would think you didn't want me here!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Then their impression was correct." I teased back.

He glared at me and stalked off, muttering about 'ungrateful bitches' and 'stupid humans' under his breath. Though he gave me a wink showing he knew I was kidding.

He glanced up at the sky. "I should probably get going." He glanced at me and smiled. "Thanks for the help earlier though." He gave me a wave as he turned and ran off towards the palace gate.

Chu stepped forward. "Ready for your match, then?" I asked, shedding my over shirt.

He just grinned. Touya, Rinku, and Jin wisely left the arena perimeter.

Touya called out before we could begin, "No using any Spirit or Demon Energy! We don't want anyone killed!"

I just smirked.

Chu had no idea of what kind of situation he had just put himself into.

Before he could even move, I kicked him in the stomach. Using an axe kick, I knocked him to the ground. Quickly getting my arms around his neck in a sleeper hold, I grinned. "Surrender?"

He reluctantly nodded and I let him up.

I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head as I helped him up. "I'm sorry...?" I watched him cautiously; unsure of how he would react.

He just burst out laughing. "You're going to help shape me up! You beat the shit outta me!"

I relaxed and grinned. "Sure." I glanced at the sun. I maybe had an hour before sunset. I needed to get to the _Kyokai_... And get the business there settled.

Jin faced me; his head slightly angled to one side as his eyes caught mine. I felt myself freeze up. His eyes... They were so blue... Just like a clear sunny day... Full of laughter and mischief... Yet... They seemed so sad... So... Alone.

I yawned, forcing myself out of my reverie. "I'm goin' to hit the hay. See ya in the morning." The others nodded and I walked off to my rooms, after getting directions from a servant. I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

The next morning I woke up just as the sun was rising. Quickly cleaning up, I went to the kitchen for some breakfast. Grabbing a roll on my way out, I went out to explore the town, and this time, I didn't get in any brawls.

When I got back, I quickly informed Raizen I was off to the Human World to clear a few things up and as I headed towards the portal, I ran into the others, literally.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Touya asked, as Jin helped me up as I apologized profusely.

"There are some things I need to do at home." I answered, glancing at them. "Want to come with?"

Jin grinned. "Why not?"

That Afternoon

I grinned as I entered the intense atmosphere of the dance club, _Bloodied Blade_. The one place in Japan where you can guarantee there are _hitokiri,_ if you know how to look, seeing as it is our base of sorts. The real _Kyokai_ is beneath it, but the club is the main entrance.

Not the least bit disoriented as the strobe lights and bass-heavy music pounded from the dark corners of the shadowed ceiling, I sat down at the bar, Chu, Rinku, Touya and Jin following. I leaned against the bar, watching the writhing mass that was the dancers as I ordered a shot. I then glanced at my companions. I had secured human world clothes for them without difficulty.

Rinku, being a kid, stayed in the same clothing. Chu just replaced his vest with a black muscle shirt. Touya looked hot, in a cool, sophisticated way, wearing a light blue tank top, darker blue jeans, and white tennis shoes. Jin had hid his horn under a baseball hat, and was wearing a loose button-up shirt over a white under shirt and baggy jeans (with holes in the knees) that hung over his brown boots. He looked cute; no he looked h- Aw hell. I did NOT just check out my brother. Shit.

"Yurei'ha?"

I glanced up. Time for business. I raised an eyebrow when I saw the person addressing me. "Hayabusa?"

He gave a curt nod and sat. "How've you been?"

I rolled my eyes. "You should know. You were following me at the Dark Tournament."

"Guilty as charged." He grinned and ordered a drink. "So... What are you going to do with the _Kyokai_?"

"Don't know. That's why I'm here." I downed my vodka straight and Hayabusa quickly finished his beer. I glanced at Jin and Touya, Chu was already starting to get smashed and Rinku was sweat dropping. "I'll... See you guys in a bit." I grinned and followed Hayabusa.

I paused before I completely left the bar area. I glanced at the bartender, Zane. "Make sure they don't get into trouble." Zane nodded, though looking rather doubtful.

That Night

Stumbling back to the club, I let out a sigh of relief. I had managed to keep all the _hitokiri_ from breaking away, and balanced the power so everyone was happy, NOT a small feat. Grinning, I decided to celebrate a little and headed back to the bar.

When I came back, Jin looked up at grinned as I took a seat. Ordering a pina colada, I leaned back and waited for my drink. Touya glanced at Chu and shook his head. Said drunkie was well on his way for one helluva of a hang over in the morning. Rinku plopped down on my other side. I fondly ruffled his hair; his hat had been left at Genkai's.

"So, what did I miss?" I asked, looking at Touya expectantly.

The Ice Master's eyes darkened. "A girl tried to hit on Rinku." I raised an eyebrow. That would probably of been Xana, she had always liked kids, seeing as how she is practically one herself. "Jin nearly got in a fight. Some guy tried to pick me up, mistaking me for a girl, apparently." I smirked. It's amazing what drunks will do. "And Chu has been in at least five drinking competitions. He won them all."

I smirked. "Sounds interesting enough." I stretched slightly, letting the tension that I had when I was "discussing the future of the _Kyokai_" roll off.

"Hey, cutie, want me to buy ya a drink?" I glanced up as a guy walked over, swaying slightly.

I shook my head and took a sip of my pina colada. "No thanks."

"C'mon! One drink!"

Jin's POV

I gritted mah teeth wi' annoyance. Who did tha' bastard think he wa'! Pickin' up on Yusuke like tha'! Before 'e could do, or say, anythin' else, I looked a' Yusuke.

An' before I could change mah mind, I grabbed 'er hand an' gently pulled 'er ou' onta th' dance floor.

Sh' raised an eyebrow, but didn't object, which I took as ah good sign. I took ah deep breath an' somewhat hesitantly rested mah hands on 'er hips. I knew, I know, we are siblings... But... I wanted this one dance. Pullin' 'er closer, I moved in time wi' th' music.

Glossary

_Kyokai_: Guild

Shujin: Leader of the _Kyokai_

_Hitokiri:_ assassin

Yurei'ha: Ghost Blade

Hayabusa: Falcon

Book two is done! Woo hoo! lol. Sorry it took so long. I'm a fifth of the way done through three, and I will hopefully update by the end of next week!


	35. Painful Goodbyes

Yusuke's POV

He began to move, and shoving all thoughts of him being my brother out of my head, I moved with him, grinding into him slowly. The slow beat was emphasized only by the sound of drums; the words were spoken in a soft tone, sultry, as the light dimmed. I felt his hand run through my hair, gently untying the ribbon that held it in place. It fell to the floor. He leaned forward, until our foreheads were touching, breaths mingling as we still moved, his hands still entangled in my silky black strands. I let my hands roam over his body, from his chest, to his arms and to his back, gently kneading soothing circles into the tense muscle. He slowly began to relax. He moaned slightly at my touch. "Yusuke..." He whispered; his eyes heavy and half-closed, cheeks flushed, as the mesmerizing scent of the club began to take effect.

"Hm...?" I looked up at him, not moving away.

"Don'... stop..." He groaned as my hands continued to massage his body.

"What was that?" I leaned forward and whispered teasingly in his ear, which I had noted, were now pointed.

"Don' stop... _please!_" He begged when I head teasingly traced my fingers along his back, barely touching the skin, but not enough to help relax.

I smiled, amused, as I obliged. He let out a blissful sigh.

As the music began to fade away, he reluctantly stopped running his hands through my hair, and I pulled away. I glanced at the clock, and assumed it was around midnight, though I could not be sure from the smoke rising from the various machines throughout the vicinity.

"We should get the others and go." Jin hesitantly agreed, though he obviously did not want to leave.

Grasping his hand, I led him through the crowd. After gathering a drunken Chu, a bemused Rinku and an aggravated Touya, we went to Genkai's. After making sure the demons were settled down for the night, I began my trek back to the city after changing into some normal clothes.

Just before dawn, I arrived and headed toward Keiko's. She opened the door just as I was about to knock, apparently just about to head to school.

"Hey 'Ko."

"YUSUKE!" She ran over and hugged me. I awkwardly hugged her back and soon pulled back. "Where have you been!"

I cut her off and answered her question before she could get started.

"Demon World. Listen... I... I'm not coming back after this, probably. I'm just coming to say good bye."

Keiko looked me in the eye, tears starting to form in her own. "Could you... Try to come visit?"

"I'll try, no guarantees." I smiled humorlessly. "I doubt a ruler of a third of the Makai has a lot of free time on their hands. C'mon, I need to say good bye to Kuwabara, and I need to tell you both something."

We quickly ran down the street, making it to Kuwabara's just as he began to walk to school as well. "KUWABARA!" I shouted after him.

He turned around, eyes wide. "Yusuke...?"

I stopped in front of him, looking as if I had taken a stroll through the park, though Keiko was out of breath and completely winded. "Did ya... Have to run so fast?" Keiko gasped.

I cocked my head to the side, puzzled. "I wasn't even jogging."

She just stared at me, incredulous. Shrugging it off, I looked at Kuwabara, to find him walking around me, apparently looking me over for injuries, then, apparently satisfied that I was in complete health, grabbed me by the shoulders and began to shake me.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN, URAMESHI! I've been worried SICK about you!" I stared. He really... Was worried.

"In Demon World, for the past week or so, anyway. Other than that, I was training around Genkai's. Sorry for making you worry." I apologized, completely sincere. "I couldn't trust myself around you guys."

I took a deep breath. I was I to explain this...? I wondered, running the information in my head. Hell... I'd been surprised myself; I had no idea on how Kuwabara was going to take it... Or Keiko.

Letting it out slowly, I let the words come. "I have to leave the human world, for a while, if not for the rest of your lifetimes. I will try to visit, but that may be impossible seeing the situation I am in. I was lucky I was able to come here for today." I ignored their questioning looks. "The Demon World is about to torn into a war, Yomi and Mukuro vs. my father, Raizen and Koenma. And... It turns out Kurama is Yomi's former leader, and Mukuro is somehow related to Hiei. And... Well... They are on that side in this war."

Kuwabara stared at me. "You're... You're joking... right?" He asked, almost panicked.

I shook my head. "I wish I was. I found out myself only last night." Thanks to the _Kyokai_. I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them. "What I'm trying to say is... Don't trust any demons. Even if you see me. It could be someone else just as easily. Please, just... Try to stay out of this the best you can." I implored. "I... Don't want to lose you before I have to."

Keiko blinked. "Our life spans... You mean...?"

I smiled sadly. "Yeah... I'm a hanyou, half-blood demon. And seeing the kind of demon I am, I wouldn't be surprised if the only way I do die is that I am killed in battle. Even then..." I shrugged. "Though chances are I'll die before this war is over... So... Just take care, all right?" I asked, before I started to turn and walk away.

"Wait!" I stopped and Keiko gave me a hug. "Don't you dare die... You have to come back." I smiled at her and nodded, though we both knew I would do my best to do so... Chances were I wouldn't.

"Could ya... Look after Ma for me? She may be tough... But she can't get by on her own at times..." Keiko nodded, then as tears began to pour, she dashed towards the school, tears streaming unchecked down her cheeks.

I turned to Kuwabara and gave him a half-smile. "I'll see ya around."

I paused at the look on Kuwabara's face. Uncertainty... Fear... Pain... Sadness. "Yusuke... Uh..." He broke off, unsure of how to go on, head bowed slightly in thought.

I hesitantly took a step towards him. That seemed to aid him in his decision, for a second later, he rushed forward and I felt his arms slide over mine in an embrace. I stood there, slightly shocked.

"Don't you dare die out there..." He pulled back slightly so we were able to look each other in the face. His eyes had begun to water. "Or else I'll kill you myself."

I grinned and pulled away, giving him a thumbs up. "I'll be countin' on it." I smirked slightly, feeling my eyes moisten as I did so, and began to walk back to Genkai's.

Glossary

Makai: Demon World

_Hitokiri_: assassin

_Kyokai_: Guild

ONE BOOK LEFT! lol. Hope you enjoyed that, I will update later this week, if possible.


	36. Preparation

This special extended chapter is dedicated to Drachegirl14/Takara, as promised. lol. Happy fourteenth birthday, girl!

I stopped on the way to Genkai's at home to pick up some stuff. Throwing all of my possessions into a duffel bag, I carefully put my guitar in its case. When I finished, I slung the guitar over my shoulder and glanced at my room for a final time. Before this, my room had been fairly bare, with only a few items other than clothes, and that didn't even cover the entire surface of the dresser.

I hesitated as I looked at the one picture I was going to leave behind. It was of the Tantei. I slowly walked toward it and picked it up. The four of us were sitting at Genkai's temple, shortly after the fight with Suzaku, and just before the one with Toguro. I was lounging on a step, staring straight past the camera, deep in thought, my hand clutching the mostly healed wound between my left shoulder and my neck that was created by Suzaku's bolts. Hiei was sitting on the rail just behind me; his head was turned towards the camera, though his unnerving crimson gaze was resting on me thoughtfully as he leaned against the pillar behind him. Kurama was standing just off to the side, examining Hiei's expression discreetly, though you could see he was half glancing at the camera, with a small smirk on his lips. Kuwabara was staring up at the sky, sitting beside me, in a rare moment in which neither of us were playing off of the other, in our own, unique way. We were barely friends... And yet, we had progressed so that we were barely rivals at that point. I smiled slightly. We had gone through so much since then... We have been together for so long, it seems; though in reality, it was only for maybe half a year. The Dark Tournament itself seemed like a lifetime... Shaking my head, I slipped the picture into my bag, stepped out of the room, turned off the lights and shut the door behind me, not looking back once.

I walked out of the city, not looking back, ignoring all the screaming voices in my mind that I should stay, and stay out of the war. I closed my eyes and blocked them out. Quickening my past, I ran all the way back to Genkai's. I would eventually come back, even if... Even if it was just to go to my mother's, Keiko's or Kuwabara's funeral.

When I finished climbing the temple steps, I gently deposited my stuff in the spare room I had claimed as my own and entered the kitchen. Everyone, excluding Genkai, Yukina and Touya, was still asleep. Genkai was quietly sipping her tea, Yukina was sewing something and Touya was apparently meditating. I walked over to the stove and stroked it up as I began to make some French toast. Genkai raised an eyebrow. "You're cooking?"

I shrugged. Truth be told, I was a pretty good cook, seeing as how mom was either: a.) never around or b.) too trashed to be of any use in the kitchen without setting it on fire. And... I just wanted something to do with my hands. In minutes, I had enough made to feed everyone. Grabbing a plate, I set two slices upon it, smothered them in butter and then proceeded to douse them in syrup. I ate in silence. I heard a slight rustle of cloth as Touya stood and helped himself to some food. The Ice Master glanced at me; his eyes were piercing, as he was trying to figure out why I was so quiet.

"I'm not leaving for the Makai for another two days, including today, but you guys can go back if you want." I stood and washed my plate down in the sink before putting it in the dishwasher.

Touya made a small noise of confirmation; his eyes still on me. His stares were just as piercing as Hiei's. And made me just as uncomfortable.

"Yes?" I turned toward him and waited for him to explain himself, leaning against the wall.

He stood and regarded me cautiously for a moment, then spoke slowly, like he was carefully choosing his words. "I know that you are much stronger than me, Yusuke. And I also know what your lineage is, which makes me... Hesitant to say this..."

I raised an eyebrow. But I think I have an idea of what he was getting at. "Are you just going to tell me that if I hurt Jin in any way, you're going to do your best to harm me before either I kill you or some guard kills you for treason?"

"Yes." His pupil-less eyes bore into mine.

I smiled humorlessly. "Jin... Is more than a brother to me, Touya... You do not have to worry."

"You swear you won't hurt him in any way?" He pressed insistently. I inwardly sighed. I knew it would come to this. A demon lord's word is law. If I promised, I could never break it. And that was what Touya wanted.

"I won't harm Jin in any way, shape, or form, this I swear it on my father's blood." His eyes widened slightly at the extent I took the oath, but nodded, smiled slightly in something that could have been relief, and went back to his breakfast.

Well... That was interesting...

A loud yawn announced Rinku's presence. His eyes widened when he saw the food. "French toast! AWESOME!" He leapt forward to grab a plate, considerably lightening the mood. I laughed slightly at his antics.

After a few minutes of Rinku just wolfing down his food, a groan brought my attention to the door. Chu stood there, eyes half-closed and probably had a pounding headache.

"Ah... My head..."

Rinku grinned cheekily through a mouthful of food. Quickly swallowing he remarked, "That's what you get for drinking twenty bottles of booze!"

"Shut up..." Chu stumbled towards the food; probably hoping it would help his headache a bit.

I sighed. Between Chu and Rinku, if Jin didn't get up soon, he wouldn't get any thing to eat. Standing I stretched as I walked down the hall of the guestrooms and stopped at Jin's door. Knocking, I waited. And when I didn't get a response, I pounded on it. After another thirty seconds, I just opened the door and went into the room.

I walked toward the bed and had to concentrate on not laughing. Jin was completely entangled in the sheets, was still asleep. He looked adorable beyond all reason. I smirked slightly, getting an idea of how I should wake him up.

Moving silently closer, I paused when I was leaning over him. Should I let him sleep? I questioned. Nah.

With this in mind, I quickly attacked his sides, tickling furiously.

Jin burst out laughing as he woke up. "I'm awake!" He laughed helplessly. "I'm awake!" I only stopped when he collapsed on the bed, too breathless to speak and too tired to get up for another thirty seconds or so.

Smiling slightly, I kissed him on the forehead and walked to the door, pausing only to grin and remark, "If you want something to eat, you better head to the kitchen quickly, or else Chu and Rinku will eat it all."

"What!" He squawked indignantly and immediately began to untangle himself from his blankets.

Still laughing, I went over to my room and took a shower. When I finished, I quickly changed into some old training clothes while not bothering to completely dry off and went over to the part of the dojo overlooking the garden. Leaping over the railing, I went over to the waterfall. Sitting beneath it, I closed my eyes as the water pound onto my back. Clearing all thoughts, I just concentrated on the water and the roaring in my ears.

I ignored the presence standing a yard or two in front of me. But when he did not leave, I opened my eyes and leapt over to the bank. Shaking myself much like a dog or a cat, I waited for him to speak.

"Yurei'ha."

I nodded an acknowledgement. "Beru."

Beru was an excellent _hitokiri_, and one of the _Shidosha_ appointed to appease one of the factions that was not pleased with my rule, but I knew Beru was loyal to the _Kyokai_, and therefore, indirectly to myself.

"What brings you here?" I asked, getting directly to the point, destroying all need for protocol.

He hesitated for a moment, when he was about to answer, I cut him off, knowing what this was about instantly. "Don't tell me. Aaron is plotting a rebellion, right?"

He nodded. I shrugged.

"What does he want?"

"A _Shidosha_ from the _Kurayami Shuha_."

"Surprise, surprise." I muttered, running a hand through my hair, sighing. "Okay, appoint the _Shidosha_. Five was a nice number for the _Shidosha_ a few years ago, but now that the Guild's expanded..." I shrugged. "It was hard to run it. The _Shujin_ does not really run anything unless there couldn't be an agreement or if there is a war. I'm leaving the choice to you guys. I'm trusting you guys to make a good choice."

He looked slightly surprised, but covered it quickly. "Yes, Yurei'ha."

I grinned as he left and went back to my meditation.

That Afternoon

I stared up at the manor I had inherited as I locked it up. The way the inheritance was set up was that anyone who had the key was the owner of the house, though they had to be able to open the door. Demonic power was key to that. Leaving the building, while running a hand over the hilt of the sword Hiei gave me, memories of the few days that they were there were running through my mind. The look on his face when I took the sword, the night together... I sighed.

I shook my head. I can't afford to get sentimental now. I still had things to do. When I got back to Genkai's, the other demons had already gone back to the Makai. I sought out the Reiki master before I settled down for my evening exercises.

"Genkai?" I called, walking toward her rooms. When I entered, she was sipping her tea.

"You want me to give you another pair of Spirit Cuffs, correct?"

"Yes."

She slowly stood. "All right. Raizen is going to be training your Demon Energy, so I see no reason not to."

"Thanks Genkai."

After she did the incantation and the bracelets of light were on my skin; I slid on some wristbands. After doing so, I glanced up at her. "Could you come to Makai, with me? I'm a little worried about Jin and the others. They have skill, but they don't have any one to train them like you would."

She contemplated this for a moment. "Torturing four-"

"Six." I corrected.

Her grin widened. "Six new souls for a few months... Why not?" I grinned along with her.

"I'll probably join the evening training."

Genkai nodded, then a flash of concern crossed her face. "What about Yukina?"

I glanced at the Ice Maiden, who was currently cooking dinner. "She could go to Raizen's or Koenma's. I wouldn't trust her here alone with all the psycho's out there. Touya could probably train her a little with fighting. Though Hiei wouldn't be too pleased."

Genkai laughed. "No, he wouldn't. But that's what he gets for not telling her he is her brother."

I smiled slightly and stared up at the stars, which you could see out here. One last thing to do before I headed to Makai. And that could be taken care of tomorrow, easily.

Though I doubted Koenma would be happy with what I wanted, I was sure I could... persuade him to do it.

I grinned. He would not be happy at all.

Glossary

Tantei: Detectives

Beru: Veil

_Hitokiri_: assassin

_Shidosha_: leader of the _hitokiri_

_Kyokai_: Guild

_Kurayami_: Darkness

_Shuha_: Sect

_Shujin_: leader of all _hitokiri_


	37. Revival

I am going to try to update everyday for the remainder of the week, 'cause I have no clue of how often I'll be able to update when school starts... So, yeah... Enjoy the chapter!

At Koenma's Palace

"YOU WHAT!" Koenma shouted, standing up behind his desk, suddenly in teenage form.

I cautiously unplugged my ears. "You heard me."

"You're not serious." He half sat, half fell back into his chair.

"What makes you think that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"That is insane. All of those requests are insane!"

"Who ever said I wasn't crazy?" I asked, rolling my eyes. "Oh, come one Koenma! We have to have a fighting chance in this war, and these are the only ways we can do it."

Koenma sucked on his pacifier furiously, sweat drops falling from his forehead. "Fine... Just be thankful Dad isn't here..."

I blinked. "Your father, is on a _business trip_ in this time of crisis...?"

"Yep."

I groaned.

Koenma stood. "I'll start working on your requests. In the meantime... I need you to look at these files. I'm sure you have some inklings about what they are about, but..." He handed a file that looked suspiciously like a report to me. "Because if my sources are correct... We could be heading towards a disaster with this war."

I quickly skimmed the file. Necromancer... Psychic... Oh shit. I glanced up. Koenma had left. Damn... I reopened the file and completely read it. A necromancer... With enough Spirit Energy to control tens of thousands of cadavers... With the mental capacity to force demons and humans alike to re-experience their worst memories at the same time... Making them incapable of defending themselves while the corpses attack... Adding another soldier to their army.

I closed my eyes and bit my lip. Why did this sound familiar...? My eyes snapped open. I thought he had been killed... Crap.

Five Hours Later...

I entered the room, Koenma nervously standing behind me. I didn't blame him. Thanks to my second request, I had access to only twenty percent of my original energy, and that was what I started the Dark Tournament with. I doubted that they would attack, but... Well, we'd have to see. And compared to this one, the second one was a sane demand.

Koenma sat I stood slightly in front of him, but off to the side. A few moments later, the door across the room slid open and three demons entered.

"Yusuke. Koenma." Toguro nodded a greeting as he took a seat.

Karasu looked skeptical and slightly startled and stood off to the side.

Suzaku looked more or less surprised. "You're still alive!"

Urameshi and I got into this thing together. We're both cummin out of this thing alive, or not at all!

I smiled slightly at the memory and then looked up at Suzaku. "Yeah, I'm surprised I am to."

Koenma coughed, an attempt to get our attention to the matters at hand. "Well, now that you have that question cleared up, back to business."

Toguro pushed his glasses back.

I set the files I had on the table and went into serious mode. "As you've probably been told, the Spirit World is willing to bring you back to life, under a few conditions, granted, but back to life, nonetheless. In exchange for your revival, you will be under my father's supervision, as well as my own, and will be expected to follow our orders, no questions asked, as well as no plots to taking over the world, mass chaos, excreta."

I thought a moment, then corrected, "Well, at least until the war is over, when it is, you will be let out on parole, and eventually will be allowed to go off on your own, but if you are convicted of a serious crime, i.e. murder, you can consider our agreement terminated and your soul shipped off to wherever you were until just a few hours ago. If you don't want to agree, you will be taken back to the place where your sentence will be taken out. But if you agree, you will get what was all ready said, on top of pardons, so when you do die, again, you will be judged only on what happened after you were revived." I took a breath. That was a mouthful. "So... Is that acceptable...?"

Toguro glanced at me thoughtfully for a moment. "Yes."

Karasu glanced at Koenma, raised an eyebrow, then nodded.

Suzaku looked at me for a moment, his amethyst eyes boring into mine, contemplating. After a few moments, he spoke, "One condition."

"And that would be...?" Koenma asked hesitantly.

Suzaku merely smiled. "It's nothing that concerns you, Koenma. And it's nothing I haven't done before, eh, Yusuke? "

My eyes narrowed. He wouldn't...

"Deal."

"KOENMA!" I could _feel_ my eyes changing as I grabbed the toddler-turned-teenager by the front of his robes. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT WE JUST AGREED TO!" I let my bloodlust show.

Koenma gulped.

"Koenma sir! There are some papers that need your signature..." He tore away from me and towards the ogre.

"Of course. I'll leave the rest to you Yusuke." He walked out of the room as fast as he possibly could. To think I put up with this for a year without pay!

Glaring at his retreating back, I gave him the finger. Calming down slightly, I turned to the other demons in the room. "So... Any questions about anything in general?"

"Why us." More of a statement then a question, but...

I looked at Karasu and shrugged. "Everyone else either I or one of the former Spirit Detectives have fought either had all ready gotten as strong as they were, did not need to be dragged into this, or I just disliked them. Most of them were the latter, but..." I shivered slightly. "Sorry, Toguro, but your brother just pissed me off."

Said demon chuckled. "Yes... He had a talent for doing that..."

I glanced at Suzaku. "You're probably wondering how I am still among the living, correct?"

He shrugged. "I was wondering what this 'war' was about but... I'm sure you'll eventually get to that."

Great more talking...

Three Hours Later...

"And that, more or less, is what has happened since all three of you have died." Man... My throat hurt... And I still needed to wrap this up... At least they didn't ask, or seem to notice, I skipped parts involved the _hitokiri_...

I opened the remaining file. "This is a profile for a necromancer that was thought to have been killed a year or so ago." And I saw him die, dammit! "Shinda Mochiageru. A team of assassins had been hired by King Enma (or Yama) to dispatch of him. All but two of the team were killed, and only one of them is alive today. Now-"

"Who is the assassin?" Karasu asked, glancing at me.

"I don't see how that is relevant..." Damn it! I slipped... Crap.

"The assassin might have details of the various attacks used by the necromancer." Shit...

"Its classified information."

"What are you hiding, Yusuke?" Suzaku looked at me, his eyes searching.

_Chikusho_...

"We all have our secrets here." The three of us looked at Toguro as he spoke. I was more than surprised. He was helping me out...? "I suggest you respect them, Master Suzaku." Thank you Toguro!

"Now, back to the profile... Koenma's sources, along with some of my own, have come across some more information. Mainly, as Karasu said, his various attacks and abilities. And in Shinda's Reiki record, it is recorded he is a known psychopath, even by demonic standards. He favors human weapons, mainly firearms a.k.a. guns. Particularly pistols..." _And I should know._ "The former assassin who fought him all ready has given a report and wished to remain anonymous. And deducing his intent was fairly obvious after that, especially considering how the Makai is about to be come a battlefield in a few years_..." If we're that lucky..._"He could take over the entire of Demon World. He probably won't strike until the war starts, and even then, until both sides are so weakened that over seventy five percent of both sides' forces are decimated, and the rest tired, in all probability. Perfect conditions too raise corpses, don't you think?"

I gave the three demons a moment to digest this information before I continued. "I'll be blunt. I, myself, am not expecting to see another five years." _Of course... That's what I thought when I first found out what being an assassin was all about..._ "I do not expect you to make it through it, either, but I'm willing to give you a chance. I have arranged for you to have training, which I would highly recommend, but it's voluntary."

I looked away from them. "This necromancer has the ability to control over double the amounts of casualties that would result from a war. He has influence on the living, seeing his is a psychic, and can cause their guard to drop for a sufficient enough period of time for the victim to be killed and added to his army... And before we even have to fight him, there is Mukuro and Yomi, the other demon lords, as well as their second-in-commands, whom the three of you have all ready met, or at least, know by sight."

"We have?" Karasu asked incredulously.

I smiled humorlessly. "Yes, Hiei Jaganshi and Yoko Kurama. It turns out that Hiei is somehow related to Mukuro and Yomi and Kurama have had a business relationship or something in that vein in the past. So, honestly, Father-"

"Father?" Suzaku asked, then realization dawned on him. "Raizen...?"

I grinned. "Yeah. You were right when you said I wasn't human, well, partially at any rate." Not bad, Beast Boy. "As I was saying, Father and I aren't as strong as we used to be. Raizen because of personal matters and I, well..." On second thought... "It'll be easier to show you." I ripped off the sleeve of my shirt, revealing the chain tattoos on my skin.

Toguro stood and I let him examine my arm. "Weights for your Demon Energy... I assume you already have Spirit Cuffs...?"

I nodded. "They have no name, the only reason I know about them is... Well, she'd kill me if I told." _Kuso_... I'm telling them too much! "They don't have a name, but Koenma threw a fit when I asked for them." I smirked. "And his father will be even more pissed. If my father hadn't made an alliance between the Reiki and ourselves, I'd probably be dead, again." I smiled at the irony.

Suzaku looked startled. "What?"

I looked at the former Saint Beast and held his gaze. "I more or less gave you my life story, so, you understand that I am a _hanyou_ of the S-class. My ancestors have a history with the Reiki, and not in a good way. If my father hadn't intervened and made an alliance, I still have no clue on he did it; I wouldn't be here right now. Think about it, an S-class demon, whose bloodline is known for violence and eating human flesh, working for you? King Yama has been alive for who knows how long. He's not going to take any chances. As soon as the alliance is terminated, he will probably try to kill me, though I do wish him luck." I smirked. It's hard to kill someone when they are an assassin themselves. Especially when they are in charge of all the other assassins...

"Yurei'ha!"

I glanced up at the voice. It was Hayabusa (whom I had promoted to _Shidosha_).

He collapsed, panting. I rushed over and helped him stand. He barely managed to gasp out, "Attack... Raizen's... palace... they've been... taken prisoner..." He went limp. I bit my lip, please let him be alive... I put my fingers to his pulse... It was there, faintly. I let out a slight sigh of relief, then took a deep breath. Not good news that's for sure.

"Yusuke!" Koenma burst in. "Someone infiltrated- oh." He saw Hayabusa unconscious on the ground.

I gritted my teeth. "Koenma. Look after our newly revived here. I got to go." I grabbed the bag I had set behind the desk in the meeting room and pulled out my _hitokiri_ equipment.

I could almost hear him think "uh-oh".

"Make sure he gets medical care." I finished tying my belt in place and grabbed my cloak and other various sheaths.

"Where-?"

"Dad's. Someone decided to visit."

Koenma had known me long enough that he understood that they were under siege.

"Alone!"

I shrugged. "Not like I have much of a choice. Unless one of you wants to come...?" I glanced at Toguro, Karasu and Suzaku.

Toguro stepped forward. "I could use the exercise."

I grinned. Karasu sighed and stepped forward, as did Suzaku. I wasn't so sure it was a good idea to let him come, seeing as how he wasn't nearly close to Toguro's or Karasu's level... But, oh well. I'll take any allies I can get. And aren't those far and few in between...

Glossary

_Hitokiri_: assassins

Shinda Mochiageru: Dead Raiser

_Chikusho_: damn it

_Kuso_: shit

_Hanyou_: half demon

Yurei'ha: Ghost Blade

Hayabusa: Falcon

_Shidosha_: Leader of _hitokiri_, second highest rank


	38. Infiltration

I ran, the others following behind. We had exited the portal minutes ago, and Suzaku was tiring from the scorching pace. The only reason I was able to go this fast in my current state was because I had build up my body to such a degree I could maintain my speed with out any Spirit or Demon Energy.

"Got a plan?" Suzaku asked, panting.

I grinned. "Nope."

Toguro chuckled. I doubt he expected anything less.

Unless my hearing was off, I heard Karasu groan.

"Oh come on! You should know that from the Dark Tournament Karasu!"

Said demon glared at me. I grinned, then got serious. "We don't have the time for espionage or stealth, so basically, sneak in (or at least attempt to) and see what happens from there."

"Great." Was the sarcastic reply.

I ignored him in favor for picking up the pace. And avoiding the swampy ground that was the terrain. Leaping into a tree branch, I grinned.

"Well... This will be the first good fight I've had in a while... Hopefully."

Toguro smirked slightly. Who knew that I amused him?

I glanced behind me. Suzaku was lagging behind. Not too surprising, but... I glanced at Toguro. Seeing my gaze, he looked at me. I jerked my head towards Beast Boy. Toguro nodded. Before the lightning-wielder could move, Toguro had him thrown over a shoulder.

"What!"

"Be quiet." Toguro ordered. "You can't keep up."

Suzaku glowered at him, but remained silent, in what appeared to be a sulk. I rolled my eyes. Men. They were so predictable. Well... Did demons count as men...? I mentally shrugged.

When we stopped at the city walls, the moon was high in the sky. "Okay, we move into the city quickly, I doubt that the civilians have any idea of what's going on, so we just me quickly, and hopefully, no one will see us. I doubt the gate is guarded by Raizen's men, so we can't be seen. I'll go first."

With that, I vanished from their sight. Moving silently, I spread my senses out. As I suspected, all the guards were foreign. Shit. Grabbing a stiletto made for the purpose of silent killing, in other words, slicing between the vertebrae. I moved towards the guards and eliminated them in such a way they were put into temporary comas. Their auras were still there, even though they would be unconscious for a week or so, if not forever. I couldn't think about that they were living, breathing creatures at this stage of the game. There was too much at risk. Motioning for them to come, we slipped into the city. Easily sticking to the shadows, we came as close as we could to the palace gate without being detected.

Ordering for them to stay, I scouted the perimeter. So far so good, there was a gap in the guards just long enough for us to slip in, if we moved as fast as we possibly could. Either way, it was going to be close.

Flitting back to my, I guess you could call them, team, I quickly briefed them. Soon, we were standing just out of sensing range, ready to make the dash. Suzaku reluctantly agreed to ride piggyback on Toguro. Neither looked happy with the arrangement, not that I really blamed them... I tensed as the guard passed and waited, eyes closed, using all my resources to "see" where the guards were.

My eyes snapped open. "GO!" We ran. Karasu leapt into the courtyard first, Toguro with Suzaku next. I barely made it. Rushing into the relative safety of the gardening shed, we paused to plan a head. My sensing and tracking abilities weren't anywhere near Kuwabara's level nowadays, but, it would hopefully suffice.

Three guards per hall, over twenty around the throne room... Where, presumably, everyone was being held captive. My question was how the hell did they capture the old hag...? The trick was getting into the throne room, but afterwards... There was only one other, maybe two, demons that were there that weren't on our side... However... This was too easy. We could easily slip past the guards, and enter the throne room without being seen; any one could see that, but... It was intentional. What other reason was there? And... What, or who, was waiting for us in the throne room...?

I sighed and glanced at the others. "It'll be relatively easy to get to our target, but... That's what I'm worried about."

Toguro nodded. "Ambush...?"

"Possible." I acknowledged. "But unlikely. There's only one, maybe two, threats in the throne room, that I can sense, which is where we are headed, and they aren't high level demons either... So, if they really are this weak and their security this pathetic, how were they originally able to lay siege on a place this secure?"

I bit my lip. The necromancer surely wouldn't strike one country? Especially when it was only allied with Spirit World, when there were two countries allied in Makai? Unless...

I felt my blood run cold as I shook. "Oh damn... We're in deep shit..."

Toguro, from what I could see and guess, looked at me disapprovingly at my language.

Karasu raised an eyebrow.

Suzaku blinked. "What do you mean, 'we're in deep shit'?"

"You guys remember that necromancer I told you about?"

The three gave me an affirmative.

"If my guess is correct, and I pray to any god that may exist that I am not..." I shuddered.

"And your guess is...?"

I glanced at Karasu. "That the necromancer, Shinda, is allied to Mukuro and Yomi."

"You definitely did put it adequately then." Karasu lightly commented.

"And there might be another problem." I added slowly, running hypothetical situations and ideas through various scenarios.

"And that is?" Toguro asked expectantly.

"This could just be a distraction while another place is hit." I stated bluntly.

"Valid point." He acknowledged, hunching over slightly into a brooding position.

I sighed. "I'm going to see if I can gather any information. If you guys are spotted, make a dash for the throne room. I'll meet you there. If you are not seen, stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"What if you're not...?" Suzaku asked hesitantly.

I glanced back at him. "If I'm not back in five minutes, storm the throne room."

The three demons nodded as I disappeared into the darkness.

I quickly and silently ran off. When I reached the open hallways of the palace, I concentrated. Feeling my body lose some of it's... I guess you could say, solidity, as I merged with the shadows, flitting through them towards the throne room. Gotta love some of the techniques we assassins learn.

I easily materialized on a pillar in the domed ceiling of the room, and listened to the echoing conversations of the infiltrators as I scouted the conditions of my friends. They were alive, 'cause I could feel their auras, but... My eyes hardened. They were conscious, but bound and gagged, and I did not like the way the second guy was looking at Yukina.

"Aw, c'mon! Let's have a little fun w' 'er!" Guy #2 pleaded. Her eyes widened in horror.

Guy #1, sighed. "Whatever." I snarled silently. Shinda.

Guy Number Two whooped and started to move towards Yukina, who tried to move back. My eyes widened slightly. He... really was going to... Shit.

I pulled out a regular throwing knife and attached a fire rune to it. Throwing it, it landed dead on the target. He was dead even before his body burst into flames, incinerating the corpse. I contemplated moving to another position, but... I quickly attached fire runes to all the knives I possessed, which was a good twenty-three or so. Before they located me, I slipped them back to their sheaths and waited a moment before speaking.

Captive's POV

"Pathetic scum..." Everyone glanced up towards the ceiling. That voice... Jin's eyes widened. Yusuke was leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, her long assassin's cloak was billowing out to the side, her figure dark against the full moon behind her. Except for her eyes. Her chocolate eyes with the crimson hue were clearly visible.

Shinda laughed. "Well, well, well... Looks like I missed one..."

Genkai closed her eyes and they snapped open when she recognized two of the three auras approaching the throne room... How was that possible!

Touya shivered when he saw the look in her narrowed eyes. Yusuke obviously somehow knew this guy, and he was willing to bet not in a good way.

"Nah... I just showed up. After all..." she idly began to toss a throwing knife into the air and caught it deftly, smirking. "I'm here for the party."

The next chapter will have a good fight scene! Promise!


	39. Not Again

Sheathing the knife in my hand, I jumped, my cloak whipping out behind me. I easily landed without a sound. Straightening, I glanced about the room. Raizen was out cold, as was Bui. Everyone else was conscious. Except for Yukina, who had fainted. And seeing as to what I was about to do... That is probably all for the best.

"Took you long enough to get here." Shinda smirked.

I raised an eyebrow. How...? Oh. The guards on the perimeter of the palace... They were already dead. He could see through the eyes of his corpses. Not good.

"And so... I'm afraid my dear, you will soon join your friends..."

I snorted. Not likely... I glanced beside me, a cadaver attempting stealth. Ah well... Swiftly grabbing a knife, I plunged it into the corpse's heart, causing it to burst into flames. Jumping away from the burning carcass, I idly twirled the _kunai_ between my fingers.

"You were saying...?"

"Impudent-! You will regret that!" More cadavers appeared through the door. Great...

"We'll see, now won't we?" I grinned impishly as the first two charged.

Easily slicing their skin, and hence their incineration, I made quick work of the first two until he sent all of them at me. Child's play. As one lunged at me, sword out, I easily dodged so that it stabbed another cadaver. I stuck a rune to each one. Their piercing, unearthly shrieks echoed in the domed room.

I dodged their uncoordinated attacks, their pitiful reaches not even scratching my cloak. I attached runes to each cadaver I encountered until there were only three left, the strongest.

I smirked. Then I felt it. _Crap..._ Was my only thought as I felt my mind become breached and my memories flood through the now-open gates.

I let out a scream as I felt every memory ripped from my mind as I was forced to live through them. Again.

No One's POV

Jin watched in horror as Yusuke collapsed, images of death and destruction being torn from her mind as she lay on the ground twitching as she relived every kill, every wound, every emotion.

Toguro paused. Something was amiss... Karasu glanced at him, with a bored expression. "It's Urameshi." Was the apathetic remark.

Toguro nodded wearily.

Suzaku glanced between the two demons. He could sense something... And it had been one of the last things he had ever sensed/seen/heard. Pain. Yusuke's pain, specifically.

In unspoken agreement, the trio moved faster through the empty corridors to the Throne Room.

Just as Toguro was about to push open the door, the sound of a gunshot reverberated through the room before them and the hallway they were in. Suzaku blinked. Was that what he thought it was?

Toguro shoved the doors open and walked in, shivering as he did so. He may have been a hit man once, but the images floating through the air... Even he felt nauseated by them. Karasu looked slightly green and Suzaku looked ready to hurl.

"Please... End it Yurei'ha!" A bleeding boy on a snow-covered mountain begged.

"Be quiet brat!" Some woman shoved Yusuke into a closet.

"Not showing emotion is an assassin's greatest asset." A kitsune told a kneeling child that was definitely Yusuke.

"Stay on the sidewalk!" Yusuke's voice shouted as a car rushing towards a small kid with a ball, the driver paying no attention to the road.

These images faded and were replaced tenfold.

He blinked as more iridescent images appeared in his mind and quickly brushed them out. Memories...? Yusuke's memories?

Yusuke slowly got to her feet from where she had landed when she had dodged the bullet, shoving all the memories out of her mind and focused. She had to get him out of her head; she had to have a point of focus that could override his spell... That's it. She slowly grabbed a rune-less knife and concentrated. There. She plunged it into her left arm, the hand twitched.

Her mind cleared so that she could think properly. She let out a breath as she cleaned and sheathed the knife.

Shinda glared at her. How had that brat foiled-! Of course. He laughed, getting the attention of Yusuke, Suzaku, Toguro, Karasu and everyone else that was alive in the room.

"Heh. So you were that little brat, eh?" He chuckled. "I could've sworn that I killed you. Along with those other pesky assassins. Though I have not been able to see any reason to why they were so intent on protecting you."

Yusuke growled.

Shinda just smirked. "Looks like that traitor of yours had second thoughts... Heh." His glanced at the three new comers. "A new team sent to 'take care of' me, eh? You'll see the fate of the last one..." He smirked.

New team...? Karasu, Suzaku and Toguro glanced at each other. What was he talking about...? As one, they shrugged.

Yusuke's hand slid toward Doku's knife. She wasn't going to miss this time.

Shinda's hand strayed towards one of his handguns. He wasn't going to underestimate her again.

Yusuke caught the movement. Her eyes widened. He wasn't... That bastard!

Just as he fired, Yusuke moved. Throwing the knife, she threw herself in front of his target, wincing as she felt the bullet enter her skin. She glanced at the wound, blood beginning to form on her skin. Not too serious, thankfully. Turning her attention to Shinda's intended victim, she grinned weakly. "You all right, Rinku?"

The child-like demon stared at Yusuke. "Why...?"

She just smiled slightly and cringed as she stood up, clutching the wound on her shoulder.

Shinda grinned. So the hardened assassin had a soft spot for children, eh? That proved his theory... "Time to go." He remarked casually while grabbing a handful of powder.

Yusuke's eyes widened. "Cover your eyes!" She shouted as she did so.

They all felt and "saw" the flash against their closed eyelids. When they were opened, nothing showed that Shinda was ever there besides the ashes of the corpses he had left.

"Shit..." Yusuke groaned as she slid back against the wall, closing her eyes against the pain as she began to block it out.

"Yusuke!" Rinku stared at the girl in awe. He, after getting rid off his bonds, cautiously put a hand on her forearm. She blearily opened her eyes and glanced at him.

"Hey." She glanced at Toguro and the others. "Mind examining the palace to see if there are any other surprises left behind? It'll give you a chance to get used to the layout." Toguro nodded and before the others could protest, led them out.

Grimacing, Yusuke stood and helped Rinku untie the others. After doing so, she sat down and gingerly pulled the bullet out of her arm before attempting to bandage it, for Yukina was still out cold. As was Raizen and Bui. I had noticed a little surprise on Karasu and Toguro's faces when they had spotted him.

Yusuke's POV

As I grabbed some gauze to wrap around the wound, Jin came over, his eyes on my left arm, which was fortunately where all my injuries were. I was ambidextrous, but I favored my right.

He forced a grin. "Let me."

I nodded and leaned against the wall while he carefully and gently bandaged my injuries.

I closed my eyes. I had almost failed... Again... I clenched my right hand (the only hand I could use) into a fist. Damn it! If I had been just one second... I shook my head. Forget it, Yusuke. You made it. That's all that matters. When I open my eyes, I felt a slight stinging sensation in my palm. I glanced at it to see the nail marks become submerged in blood. Crap.

Jin looked at my hand and blinked before mock sighing and cleaning my hand up. He looked up at my face as soon as he finished. "Yusuke?"

"Mm?" I asked, eyes half-closed as I contemplated ways to avoid Shinda's new way of entering minds, seeing as how he didn't need eye contact any more.

"You alrigh'?" He asked, eyes boring into mine.

I met his gaze levelly. "Yeah. I'm fine."

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Sure ya are." He leaned forward so he was right in my face. I blinked, startled by the sudden intrusion of my personal space.

The doors burst open. "Palace is secure and-" I saw the look on Toguro, Karasu, and Suzaku's face. I sighed and got a sweat drop. Not again...

Glossary

_Kunai_: knife used by assassins

Doku: Poison


	40. Tired

I abruptly flitted to where my knife was before anyone could say anything. Re-sheathing it, I glared at Karasu and Suzaku, daring them to say something. They wisely kept their mouths shut, seeing the killer intent I was radiating was enough to make them shiver. Reverting my aura back to normal, I glanced at Toguro.

"All the cadavers gone, then?"

He nodded.

"Good." I rubbed the back of my neck ruefully. "Chu, gather the volunteer guard."

Chu nodded and got up.

"Have some of them search for the corpses of the fallen guards... They'll need to be incinerated..." He nodded and left.

I took a deep breath then took control of the situation. "Toguro, Suzuka, I'll leave getting a watch on the perimeter of the city to you after Chu gets back. Suzaku, you'll take care of the palace walls. And Karasu, you'll be looking after Bui until he wakes up. Make sure he's out of the way." They looked slightly surprised that I was ordering them around, (either that or I was trusting them with this) but they nodded and left.

Turning to those remaining, I rubbed my eyes, I was so tired... And my head throbbed...

"Touya, look after Yukina, and when she wakes up, I want you to devise a training program with her. Seeing what happened today, I do not want a repeat. We won't always be able to be around. You're to be a body guard to her of sorts until she can fend for herself, understood?"

Touya merely gave me a small nod and left with the diminutive ice maiden in his arms.

I grinned with a sudden inspiration. "Shishiwakamaru?"

Said samurai glared at me.

"You're to help Touya look after Yukina. And if I find out you're shirking..." I let my voice trial off. He gulped and nodded before he ran to catch up to Touya. I smirked.

"Jin, will you get our father to his rooms and call for a physician? I doubt they took his health into consideration when they knocked him out." Jin grinned and gave a jaunty wave before he left in a whirlwind, with our father apparently in tow.

After everyone was gone, excluding Rinku who was still in shock, I'd have to talk to him after I finished with Genkai. "Hag?"

"What dimwit?"

"You realize we're going to have to start training tomorrow?" I could feel a migraine coming on...

"I know."

"You should probably get your 'exercises' ready."

She smiled ominously. "Of course." She turned to leave.

I shivered. The words "game" and "exercise" were codenames for torture with her... Brr...

After she had left, I knelt before Rinku, "Hey, what's up?" I asked, giving him the once over to check for injuries, which he appeared to have none. Battle shock, perhaps...?

My features softened as I hugged him. "Shh... It's all right, isn't it? We're both here, without any fatal wounds, so why are you still so worried?"

"Why...? Why did you take that bullet for me!" He near shouted/sobbed, tears rolling slightly down his face.

I closed my eyes then met his aquamarine ones. "My mom... She was never around, so I had to fend for myself... I don't want anyone else to go through what I had to do to survive." I fondly ruffled his hair slightly.

Rinku's POV (Sort Of)

He buried his head in her shoulder, unable to let her see his tears any longer. He had grown up without a mother either; he had Chu later on, but... She grew up as an assassin, and assassins did not get close to their colleagues if they could help it. That was worse then growing up alone in the Demon World... He brushed his tears away as discreetly as possible. He knew Yusuke knew what he did, but she did not indicate it, and he was thankful for that. He looked up at her from the corner of his eye, his head still on her shoulder; his eyes free from tears though half-closed in sleep.

"Thank you..." He whispered as he yawned slightly. "Nee-san."

Yusuke's POV

I froze when I heard "nee-san". Big sister...? Half-laughing half-letting out a breath I'd been holding, I kissed his forehead. "C'mon. Let's get you to bed." He barely protested as I lifted him up. He was fast asleep before I even reached his room. As I was about to set him down to tuck him in, he cuddled closer. I paused, having no idea of how to react to this situation. Smiling slightly, I gently pried his hands off of my ragged cloak and covered him with his blankets. Setting his hat on one of the bedposts, I quietly left and silently shut the door behind me.

Walking back to the throne room, I arrived just seconds before Suzuka, who was panting. I waited for him to catch his breath.

"What's up?" I asked, startled. Please don't tell me we're being attacked, I silently begged.

"Shishi..." I let out a silent breath of relief. "Is trying..." He gasped for breath. "To... Kill... Touya..."

I rubbed my temples. If I was getting a headache from this, I can't wait until I start ruling this country. "Tell him if he doesn't behave I'm going to personally ask my finest torturer to lacerate him in such a way that he will never be able to reproduce." So Toguro had everything under control, if Suzuka left...

Suzuka cringed before bowing slightly and leaving.

Why did I get the feeling that tomorrow was going to be worse...?

"Yusuke!" I glanced up when I heard Jin, and winced slightly at the volume of his voice.

I smiled tiredly. "What now...?" I couldn't help but groan. My head was pounding something akin to a drum...

Jin blinked. "Ya don' look so good."

I winced as my head throbbed. "You think?" I shook my head. "I'm sorry, I just want to go to bed, but I have to make sure that everything is secured before I do so, and-!"

Before I could register that he had moved, Jin was behind me. And before I could do anything about that, (which is saying something seeing as how I am an assassin and our reflexes have to be razor-sharp) seeing the condition my headache was putting me in, my reflexes were slower than normal, but still... At any rate, I felt his arms hesitantly slide around my waist.

"Ye don' need ta apologize." He whispered softly. "I understand."

I just leaned against him, my head resting on the crook between his neck and his shoulder.

"Thank you." I closed my eyes and relaxed, supported only by Jin's strong arms. I'm sorry, Hiei, Kurama... But I'm just so tired of all this right now... Getting the image of their faces in my mind, I tried to force them out, though it didn't work that well. I could feel the tears well up. Why did they leave...? I didn't even bother trying to hide the fact I was crying, unlike Rinku. I let the tears pour down. I had learned long ago a good cry can release the pent-up emotion.

"Yusuke?" Jin asked, startled, I suspected, by the fact that I was crying.

"Sorry." I wiped them away. "All the responsibility and regrets get to me once in a while..." I laughed slightly, sadly. "After all... I'm just a kid. In demon and human years."

He just held me closer, letting me cry, letting me just let it all out.

"I've done so many things that I wish I didn't have to do. I've taken so many lives by the time I was twelve that there was no way I could repent for all the blood I've stained my hands with. I have to act like I know what I'm going to do even if I'm second-guessing myself. A country and the _Kyokai_ are looking up to me to make decisions that are the best for them. And I have done, and have to do, all of this alone. I can't rely on someone at all for help of support, for at least the Guild's affairs. And I have no clue about what I have to do to run this country. I could barely control my _hitokiri Shuha_ for _kami-sama_'s sake! How in the seven hells am I supposed to run a country? And don't forget a country that might be in war by the time I inherit it! I just- ugh!"

I felt the tears slide down my cheeks.

"I just want to be free to do as I please. I... I just wanted to live my life fighting, maybe get married when I was twenty or become a professional boxer or something. I... Just don't want to worry about any responsibility other than where I was going to live, and how I was going to feed and clothe myself." I sighed. "So much for that, though..." I let out a short bark of laughter that was anything but amused. "Sorry about that. You don't need to listen to my problems. You probably have enough of your own that I don't need to dump all of mine on you."

I extracted myself from his embrace and began to walk away before his hand grabbed my wrist.

His voice was unusually serious as he spoke, "Yusuke, I told ya I would be 'ere for you. I jus' wish I could do more."

He gently forced me to face him, his hands gently cupping my chin. His eyes were soft, understanding as he slowly closed the amount of space between us. I could feel his warm breath, my own quickened. What was he doing...?

"Yusuke... I... _Aishiteru_."

My eyes widened as I felt his lips meet mine.

Glossary:

_Hitokiri: _assassin

_Kyokai_: Guild

_Shuha_: sect

_Kami-sama_: God

_Aishiteru_: I love you (... I think? )


	41. The Second Assault

I gasped as Jin's silken lips met mine. His arms slowly wrapped around me and I was too surprised to even move. His hands were entangled in my hair as he deepened the kiss. He was gentle, clearly letting me have the freedom to push him away whenever I had enough. But... I couldn't bring myself to do that... Or even to react, period. His tongue hesitantly ran against my lower lip, asking for permission. I closed my eyes.

This was my brother!

My eyes snapped open as I leaned back, my face showing my emotions, surprise, confusion, loneliness.

"I-I... I'm sorry, Jin. We-We're siblings! This is incest! I-!"

Jin put his hand over my mouth, barely making contact, not an intrusive gesture but enough to indicate silence. "'Ere, it doesn't really matter as lon' as th' mates truly wanna be together, Yusuke." He spoke softly, his voice thick with emotion, mainly hope and nervousness. "All tha' matters is if yeh wan' it or not." His eyes met mine, fearful, not wanting to be rejected. Pleading for me to accept him.

Did I want this...? I looked down, anything to look away from those eyes. Yes, but... Hiei and Kurama, they... They're my...

"I... Jin... I..." I searched for the words, but my thoughts and voice abandoned me. I swallowed and took a deep breath. "I want what you have to offer, more than anything right now, but..." I met his eyes, which were so full of hope, and yet so scared of rejection. "I am... all ready mated... And, though they may not be here... I am going to honor the promises I made to them when I took their marks for as long as they do. I don't want to be alone anymore, but... If I don't hold anything sacred, I would lose what humanity I have left. And those vows are one of the few things I consider hallowed. I'm sorry, for more than you'll ever know." I smiled, a genuine I'm-about-ready-to-cry smile as I turned away.

"Wait!" I paused, but didn't look back until I heard the question. "To who?"

I glanced at Jin, his eyes and expression were unreadable. "To Hiei and Kurama."

He paused for a moment before speaking, haltingly. "Yusuke, I meant wha I said, but... Don' worry too much 'bout it." I looked at the grinning wind master, though the grin was obviously forced. "I jus' wanted you ta know... An' I had ta know... Wha' you thought o' me. I apologize fo' puttin' ya in an awkward position." He forced this out; the formality didn't suit him.

I nodded. "And I apologize, again, for having to do this to you, Jin. You deserve better."

I quickly turned and walked down the hall. And all the way, I could feel his eyes boring into my back.

When I was out of sight and earshot, I ran to my room and grabbed my basic assassin equipment and weapons, I ran towards one of the assassin guards I had set up. I couldn't stand this any longer.

"Ty."

"Yeah?" The assassin raised an eyebrow. What did the Master want with him?

"I'm going out for a bit, the security here is in your hands, got it?"

"H-hai..." As I walked away, I could tell I had left a very stunned assassin behind. I grinned. There was nothing more amusing than shaking up someone's orderly routine. What was the world without any chaos? Boring.

Easily getting out of the city perimeter, I ran as fast as I could through the woods, my senses on alert, though I was preoccupied with my thoughts.

Damn it Jin! Why did you do this? I inwardly groaned. I can't just forget about Hiei and Kurama, even though they are my, I suppose, enemies, now...

Shit.

I heard the dull thudding ahead and blended into the shadows for some reconnaissance. I paled at what I saw. A full-fledged army, marching straight towards the city. It would reach it in half a day, and even if I made it back to the palace in fifteen minutes, there was no way we would be able to set up an adequate defense. This was obviously sent while we were regrouping after Shinda's assault. Damn it... Did you plan this Hiei? Kurama? I had the sinking suspicion it was both. But... I observed the soldiers. There was no way we'd come out of this unscathed if they made it to the city gates... I'd have to stop them here before they got close enough to do any serious damage.

I grabbed two runes from my pouch and bit my thumb, letting the blood well up. Quickly adding a few symbols to the runes with the drops, I concentrated my energy. Setting the all the traps in my possession the forest quickly, I hid them just as efficiently. I made sure that they wouldn't make it out of this forest with half their number, for I'd be waiting for them at the end. I just hoped that they wouldn't be able to find the traps...

After I reached the far end of the forest, I began to prepare for battle. I had packed light, for I didn't really expect to encounter enemies, but... I brought my basic assassins' kit, hence the traps and runes, my knives and sword. If my traps worked, I'd be able to take half of what was remaining out with other spells, then I could whittle down the rest with Spirit Energy and physical techniques. I bit my lip as I heard the first rune go off. It was timed so it hit the very last part of the company, wiping out the rear guard, in theory. All I could do now was wait and see if my traps did what I had intended.

I heard them before I had any other indication they were coming. The ground was no longer shaking, so I knew I had damaged their number significantly. I waited for the first stragglers before I struck with my knives. Getting out of my hiding place in the shadows, I dispatched them quickly before sinking back into the darkness.

"Hey! What's up there- eh?" A few more demons stepped forward and saw their dead comrades' bodies.

"On guard men, on guaaaargh!" I stuck my blade into their commander's heart and twisted the blade.

Looking at the would-be invading army, I smiled. "So... Who wants to die today?" I asked cheerfully, just as the forest burst into flames, just as I had timed it to. I just prayed the wards wouldn't give out. Because the fire was the only signal I was really going to be able to give to Tneisha (I'm making this up, this is Raizen's capital city in this story) and Raizen would be pissed if I burned half of his country to the ground.

As the stragglers stumbled out of the forest, half-suffocated from the smoke, I put them out of my misery. After another half-hour, I used my aura to "look" around. There were no living beings left, excluding me of course. Opening my eyes, I doused the fire.

Panting, I stumbled back towards Tneisha while cleaning my blades and destroying all evidence of the tools and items I used. No sense in leaving a trail, though any assassin worth their blade would know that one of their own had done this.

I had almost reached the city gates when I felt a heat in my lower stomach. What was going on...? As I continued forward, and the minutes passed, the heat slowly spread and increased as I made my way towards the palace. No way... As I felt my body temperature spike up, I sighed. Yes way... I ran all the way back to the palace. By the time I reached my bedroom, I was in a full-fledged heat. This could not bode well...

After a few hours, I was in excruciating pain. I had always been able to repress the heat before this using the right amount of aura, but setting the traps and using the elements had exhausted my reserves and the heat that I had held back for so long took over, full-force because I had never experienced it before. I may be a teenager, but... Apparently my body aged a lot quicker than normal humans, and demons.

I gasped for breath through the mind-numbing pain as I held back a whimper. This was almost as bad as Genkai's Spirit Wave Orb... I closed my eyes and forced my body to remain still. I could not predict how long this would last. This was because I had held it back for a year or so, so this could last from a day to a week. I grimaced as I felt my fever rise. Damn it...

My eyes snapped open when I felt the connection I had pushed to the recesses of my mind surface. I had put Hiei and Kurama into heat...? Damn.

Other's POV

"Where is Yusuke?" Genkai entered the dining hall, where everyone else was lounging around after dinner.

No one could answer her. Jin leaned forward. Maybe she had left? He lowered his head, mind racing. Maybe he shouldn't have told her...

Touya glanced at Jin. He knew something...

One of the _hitokiri_ stepped forward. Toguro glanced at him. His name was Ty, or something like that...

The assassin bowed. "My apologies for interrupting, but the _Shujin_ left five hours ten minutes and thirty-two seconds ago."

"Did she say where...?" Inquired Yukina quietly.

"Sorry, Milady, but no, she did not. And it was not my place to ask if she did not say where she was going."

Genkai sighed. "Very well. Thank you."

The assassin bowed again and faded into the background.

Genkai rubbed her temples in aggravation. Sometimes her apprentice was more trouble than she was worth...

"Jin, go check her room. Touya, the kitchen, and Rinku the training room..."

Jin tuned the directions the martial arts directed out. Standing, he walked to her room and knocked on the door hesitantly. He felt slightly awkward after what had happened earlier, but... Shaking it off and grinning, he opened the door after a few minutes and the sight that he saw, well, to say that he was stunned would've been the worst understatement of the century.

Glossary

_Hitokiri_: assassin

_Shujin_: leader of all _hitokiri_


	42. Anima Natura

Notice: I'm only doing the Glossary for new words, ones that I've used for practically the whole series are not going to be mentioned, because I think you know what it means by now.

Jin froze at the sight he beheld. Yusuke was lying on her back; her skin was covered in a light sheen of sweat, her breath coming in gasps. Her eyes were glazed and half-closed. Her hair was disheveled and damp with perspiration. The door to her balcony was closed, and the intoxicatingly sweet fragrance of her heat was almost overwhelming, yet... He knew he would not be able to inhale enough of that scent.

Cautiously and nervously, he entered the room and shut the door behind him. Hesitantly sitting on the side of the bed, he waveringly touched her feverish skin, gently stroking her cheek.

"Yusuke...?" He asked in a whisper, not certain that she would hear him. She had progressed so far into the heat without any relief; she was probably experiencing the mind-numbing, excruciating pain that was rarely felt outside the field of battle. He waited for a response of any kind.

She blinked, her eyes focusing slightly, though barely. "Jin...?" Her voice was weak, as her breathing was labored. He smiled, but, it was half-hearted, it tore him apart to see her like this, and he knew she would not let him do anything to help her.

"Ah'm 'ere." He answered reassuringly. He bit his lip, his fang poking out. If she didn't get relief soon... She could die... And the fact that the scent of her heat was starting to get to him didn't really help matters much currently.

She nodded and closed her eyes. "Can you... Grab the first vial on my belt...? The blue one..." He stared. She was unable to even... He watched her breath for a second. He hadn't known that Yusuke could even be like this, he had seen her and known her only as someone that could depend on herself for anything, but... He couldn't help but feel honored that she was swallowing her pride and trusted him enough to do this for her, even though it didn't really appear he would be doing much for her.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he nodded and slid it out from its strap, popping off the cork; he helped her sit up. As she leaned against him, her head was tilted back and he brought the vial to her lips. She drank the liquid and a minute after she did so, he could've sworn that her breathing was becoming less difficult.

In minutes, her breathing returned to normal, her body temperature went down, and the pain receded. He blinked. What had been in that vial?

Yusuke's POV

I slowly sat up after the heat had mostly receded and let out an inward sigh. The potion wouldn't last long, but... Long enough for what was about to happen, I hope. I unsteadily got to my feet and winced. Crap. I still couldn't move completely... And chances were I wouldn't be able to until I had intercourse...

"Could you give me a hand...?" I asked, trying to keep from falling over.

Jin immediately complied, wrapping an arm around my waist to keep me from losing my balance.

"Thank you..." I gritted my teeth as we walked down the hall. Something was about to happen, and... It wouldn't be good for us.

And, of course, I am right.

Just as we reached the throne room, we found Raizen and the others preparing for battle against... I glanced at the screen. My eyes widened.

"What... In the seven hells... Is that?" I asked, it looked like a golem or something. But... It was too large to be. It was at least as tall as the Empire State Building in New York City. Damn... It wasn't a demon... But... Then what was it? It was slightly humanoid in appearance, but then again so were golems. It resembled a primate more than a human, slightly hunched over, large arms, small head... But... I started shaking. "No... That's... impossible..." I whispered, my eyes wide with fear.

Jin looked at me. "Wha's impossible?"

"That... Thing... Is a Anima Natura, a being made entirely of dead souls... Only one other has ever been made... If Shinda can make this... Who knows what else he can do; though it must've taxed him greatly to make it, but... Given enough time to recuperate, he could make another... And when there is a battle... There will be more than enough souls to use."

And the best part was, it was heading straight towards us.

Suzaku looked at me. "How was the other one destroyed?"

I shrugged. "I do not know. Us assassins had nothing to do with such a monstrosity. The only reason I know of the previous Anima's existence was because the former Master of the Guild at that time thought it wise to record such a thing's creation, for history's sake. The records of how to create and destroy it are probably in Shinda's hands, if they exist."

"That's comforting." Touya remarked sarcastically.

"Yes, isn't it?" I agreed as I rubbed my temples. How the hell were we going to defeat it...? "Hayabusa! Nike! Beru!"

The three _Shidosha_ appeared and bowed slightly.

"Get the other _Shidosha_ to get the townspeople evacuated while you three rally the _hitokiri_ trained in fighting arcane arts and unusual targets, especially those who know anything about the Anima Natura. "

"_Hai_!" They vanished.

I glanced at the others, and looked at Raizen. He met my eyes for a moment, then nodded, letting me take control of the situation. Taking a deep breath, and pulling away from Jin, I was somehow able to stay standing, the potion probably had taken full effect.

"Prepare for battle. And make sure you can use your strongest attacks on command. Is that clear?"

Everyone nodded. "Yukina, you're to stay with Touya, Rinku and Shishi, you four will stay here." I ordered. "And no arguments!" I added when I saw the mutinous look on Shishi's face.

"Why do you get to order me around!" He shouted.

I glanced at him, my eyes narrowing. I flitted behind him, and before he could even move, I had my _kunai_ knife to his throat.

"Because I can kill you where you stand if you disobey me." I hissed in his ear, so only he could hear. "And I am your liege's heir." I smirked. "Those are fairly good reasons, no?"

He gulped.

Moving away, I sheathed the knife and glanced at the others. "We will be leaving in five minutes. Meet at the main palace gate."

After everyone left, Rinku approached me. "Why do I have ta stay?" He whined.

I knelt in front of him and smiled sadly. "'Cause I'm selfish and don't want my _Ototo_ to get hurt."

His aquamarine eyes met mine squarely. "Really?"

"Really. Now, you'll protect Yukina, right?" I asked, standing.

"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" He mock saluted.

I grinned. "Good."

Five Minutes Later

As soon as everyone was gathered, we took off in the direction of the Anima. I had grabbed everything that might be of some use in this battle. As soon as we exited the main gates of Tneisha, I sensed the other _hitokiri_ moving towards us. Seconds later, they surrounded us, but stayed to the shadows. I unconsciously grabbed a _kunai_ knife. I have only a half-hour before the potion wears off and I have to take the next vial. I just hope I don't have to take the third, but I will if necessary, I suppose. But... It could take us a half-hour to get to the Anima at this pace...

I let out one piercing whistle, and the assassins move into action. Everyone except Suzuka, Chu, and Suzaku continued to run, or in Jin's case, fly; but my assassins picked up those three as we increased our pace. With any luck, we'd arrive there in fifteen minutes and I'd be able to analyze the Anima with the next fifteen and destroy it after I took the purple vial... Well, one can only hope.

Fifteen Minutes Later

As soon as we spotted it, we charged in desperate attempts to slow it down and/or stop it. As I lunged forward, I leapt onto its shoulder and set my hand down on, I guess you could say it's skin, and transferred some of my aura into it for an analysis. Before I could complete it, its other arm was heading straight towards me. I jumped off and let myself free fall back to the ground. Landing without a sound, I leapt away as it tried to stomp on me. Rolling to the edges of the battlefield, I paused to think of what I had learned. If I had any doubt before it was an Anima Natura, there was none now. It was a huge creature made completely of souls, but the question was, how were they all bound together? If it had been a collage of undead, it would have been relatively easy to destroy, a few runes I have were designed just for that purpose, any mediocre necromancer can create a golem of the undead, but... A being of this magnitude entirely of souls? Turning feelings and emotions into a solid thing? I bit my lip. My time's running out...

Glossary

Anima Natura: Soul Being (Latin), Anima for short

_Ototo_: Younger brother


	43. The Binding Spell

Sorry I had to wait to update until today! My computer wouldn't cooperate with me!

I grabbed the next vial, which was rich purple in color, and uncorked it. Taking a deep breath, I drank it straight down, wincing at the bitter taste. Almost immediately I felt latent energy just flowing to my disposal. I felt my body change. My hair lengthened, as did my nails- into claws. My canines became fangs. Demonic tattoos swirled along my body, a vivid blue, mixing with the chains that Koenma had marked my skin with. My senses became keener.

I hesitated when I felt the source of power coming from the Anima- concentrated at where it's heart would be if it were a real, breathing creature. My head shot up milliseconds before I started to run, pushing Suzaku out of the way before he was stomped on. Rolling to my feet, I grinned at the former Saint Beast. "Well... Things are starting to get interesting, at least."

He stared, apparently in awe. I blinked, and looked down at myself. Oh. I inwardly smacked myself on the forehead. This was the first time he had probably seen me in my demon form. I am such an idiot at times... Pulling him to his feet, I cocked my head to the side and smirked, "Careful not to get stepped on... I went through hell, courtesy of Koenma, to get you back to life- I don't want to do it again."

Suzaku returned the smirk, "Only if you don't, Yusuke."

Grinning again, I looked back towards the Anima. My assassins had managed to slow it down somewhat, with out getting killed. That was surprising. I bit my lower lip; the hum of power that was coming from the beast now was giving me a headache. Was it the source of the spell holding it together? Probably, there was no other power source in that thing but the protective spells around that one area were going to be almost impossible to break... And that was kind of a giveaway that the Binding Spell was there, but why hadn't the others said anything? Did they not sense it...? I shrugged it off.

What did I have with the kind of power to stop it...? I subconsciously began tapping my fingers anxiously on my sword hilt. What kind of focus could I use to- I am such an _idiot_. I pulled the sword and sheath from my belt. Alone, the sword won't be strong enough, but... I grabbed four runes from my pouch. Well, here goes.

"Beru!" I shouted at the assassin, "Get everyone out of here!"

He glanced at me, mouth open to protest, but I silenced him with a glare

"_Hai_!" He turned to the others. "You heard the _Shujin_! Move it!"

As the assassins dragged my other allies away, I concentrated my energy into the runes, pouring it into the symbols drawn onto the paper, calling out the power stored in the frail slips.

I smiled slightly at the irony as I fingered the runes. When I had... Acquired... the information to summon this attack... It had nearly killed me... And now... Heh... I stared at the elegant script. Chances were... Using this spell would kill me. If not summoning it, then using it very well could. This attack... Was harder to control than Hiei's Dragon... And that was saying something.

As they flew out of my hand and circled in the air, I fell to one knee, gasping for breath, that... had taken more out of me than I had... originally thought...

Fire swirled around the southern one, along with lighting, sizzling and crackling, reaching out towards the eastern rune. Thunder responded to the lightning's touch, green light surrounded the rune, with the heavy call of the thunder. Blue light surrounded the north rune, light spheres of blue levitated around it, hanging effortlessly by the slip of paper. The western rune was barely visible through the harsh winds surrounding it, though the rune itself was untouched, in the eye of the tornado as it hung in the air.

The elements mixed and contorted chaotically. I slowly rose to my feet, and gripped the blade hilt tightly in my hands as I waited. Closing my eyes, I reached out to the energy, feeling it for the right time. Seconds later, it had come.

Eyes snapping open, I flung the sheathed blade into the air. Everything moved at once, the lighting flashed out, hitting the blade as the blue and green lights surrounded it, with the flames running along the length of the blade sheath. Thunder roared as the lighting writhed around the weapon, it fell back to earth, the runes burning up, the elements being drawn into the sword as they went through the binding runes on the sheath. I caught it as it fell.

I froze as I felt the power within the weapon and was forced to use my remaining energy to keep that power from bleeding out, even through the wards. I inwardly gulped, but kept my exterior calm. Would I be able to wield (and control) the Dragon, now that it had been infused with the elements...? I glanced at the sheathed blade, and could almost _feel_ the dragon's gaze upon me, evaluating me. I smirked; well... we'd just have to see, now won't we?

I glanced up at the Anima as I called out to the others, "If this attack doesn't work... Consider me down."

Raizen nodded, as did the others.

Using the last bit of my energy in this form, I grabbed two more runes. Activating them, they flew to the Anima, attaching to it. One slowed it down; the other neutralized some of the protective spells and wards around it. I fell completely to the ground, loosely grasping the sword in my hand, my vision spinning as I closed my eyes. I vaguely felt someone catch me before I made complete contact to the ground. Blearily opening my eyes, I looked up to see Suzuka.

"There... Is a red vial in my belt... Grab it..." He did as I requested/ordered.

"Before I do anything else with it..." he lifted the vial so I could see it, "What is it?"

I inwardly groaned. He was wasting time I did not have... Though the look of curiosity on his face got the better of me. "An energy summoner. The most powerful one. We assassins use them for an extra spurt of energy, whether it is to escape from a target's home, to get a boost while fighting, or just to have enough energy to activate the self-destruction rune etched onto the assassin's back. They force latent, untapped energy to flow to a usable position. But... The more you drink, the more poison you intake... The ingredients in them are lethal if taken in large doses..." I prayed he hadn't noticed me take the other two vials...

Nodding, he opened it, and propped me up against him so I could drink it without spilling any. I grimaced as I drank it. It was worse than the other two combined... But the feeling of strength rushed to me quicker than the other two had. I blinked. In that split-second, my body changed again. Black became white, brown became gold, more tattoos appeared, my body was full of unused power.

I stood and dusted myself off. Nodding my thanks to Suzuka, I gripped my blade and put one hand on the sheath. Pulling the blade out, I waited for the dragon's reaction. Black flames, mixed with lightning and other sparks of the other elements, writhed around the blade, the dragon's shape taking form. I watched it impassively. The blood-red eyes bored into mine, daring me to do something. I waited. The energies faded and I let out a breath of relief before looking up at the Anima.

Tossing the sheath to Karasu, who was standing somewhat close to me, I grabbed one last rune, it circled around me. Grinning, I looked up at the colossal monstrosity in front of me. Well... Here goes nothing. Charging forward, I leapt onto its knee, and then jumped up to it's shoulder. Racing across it I let out a battle cry as I plunged the blade into the Binding Spell, flames licking around the spell, searching for a weak spot. Closing my eyes and gritting my teeth against the energy slashing my skin to bits, I poured all the power I had into the sword, channeling it into the Binding Spell, slowly ripping it to pieces. I let out a slow hiss of pain as the energy streams thickened as the spell weakened. One or two souls joined the torrents.

I nearly screamed as another torrent ripped its way out of the Anima and sliced right through my abdomen. I felt blood gush from the wound. I glared at the Anima as I felt my strength begin to fade. Concentrating, I searched every recess of my mind for any unused power, anything that could destroy this thing.

Other's POV

Lighting and fire swirled around the Anima as it screeched in pain. Bui blinked as he recognized the fire, how was Yusuke able to wield the black flames of the Dragon?

Genkai closed her eyes as she honed onto Yusuke's power signature. She inwardly groaned as she felt her apprentice's energy weaken as she used up power that she did not have and as her body was torn into pieces. She sighed. Damn you, Yusuke...

Yusuke's POV

I buried the blade in deeper, growling, as I forced more of my remaining strength into the spell. It was getting steadily weaker... I felt it pulsate once, before...

"Shit!" I yelped, pulling my sword out and leaping away just before the spell exploded, tearing the Anima to pieces. Souls flew up into the sky. I braced myself as the explosion hit my body, cutting me even further. My vision slowly started to go black. I closed my eyes as I fell. I had lost that much blood...? I knew no more.

Jin's POV

He saw Yusuke leap away, just before she was lost in a bright, violent light. He ducked down as the energy flared up and was gone. The souls had vanished. He glanced up to see Yusuke falling, her sword clenched tightly in her hand, leaving a crimson trail in the sky. "Yusuke!" He leapt into the air. Getting behind her, he fell with her, gently getting her horizontal to the ground, he got beneath her and held her close as they slowly fell back to earth, courtesy of Jin's wind. As they landed, He set her on the ground, her blood covering his chest, staining the crisscrossing straps red.

Her breathing was shallow; he could barely see any skin not covered in blood. Gashes of every various size imaginable covered her body. Genkai put her hand to Yusuke's forehead and channeled her energy, healing the most serious of the wounds. She fell back, panting, "That's all I could do. We... Must get her to Yukina..."

Jin nodded and lifted her once again. "I can ge' 'er there th' fas'est." Chu nodded in agreement.

"Go then." Toguro ordered. Jin did not need to be told twice as he rocketed into the air, holding Yusuke close to him.

He flew faster than he ever had before, taking the full punishment of flying at such a speed. He gritted his teeth, eyes flashing. He had to get Yusuke there as soon as he possibly could. Reaching the city gates, he didn't slow down until he reached the palace ones. Dive bombing into the throne room, he barely managed to land without breaking anything. Panting heavily, he saw Touya and Yukina coming towards him just before he blacked out.

Yukina's POV

"Yusuke!" The koorime knelt beside the fallen _hanyou_ as Touya dragged the exhausted Wind Master away from the two so Yukina could work.

Yukina bit her lip. This was almost beyond her skills. Concentrating, she slowly and carefully healed the wounds, ignoring the blood that dyed the Toushin's current pure white hair red. She blinked. The wounds themselves were healing without her help, though she greatly aided it. But... Something wasn't right. Yusuke's temperature was rising. She put a hand to the former Spirit Detective's forehead. She had to pull her hand away. She was burning up... Yusuke opened her eyes and grinned weakly.

"Tell Nike to get me the antidote, when he gets here. He'll... Understand what I mean..." Yusuke's eyes closed as she slipped back into unconsciousness.

Yukina examined the blood covering Yusuke's body. Her eyes widened. How did Yusuke manage to get that poison in her system!

Glossary:

Toushin: Battle Demon, I believe. At any rate, it's what Yusuke is.

Well... It's a little longer than normal...


	44. Heartbroken

Sorry I took so long to update! I had a really bad case of writer's block! Swim season just ended so I should be able to update every weekend from now one, I would try every day, but I have an AP course, so... I can't. Sorry again for the delay!

Ordering Shishiwakamaru and Rinku to find an assassin that could help, or at least tell them who this "Nike" was, or what antidote Yusuke had been talking about, Yukina knelt beside her patient. Evaluating the poison, she inwardly groaned.

The others arrived minutes later, to find Yukina pouring her energy into the fallen body of Raizen's heir. She gritted her teeth and looked at them imploringly, "I can't keep this up, and it's too late for an antidote..." Tears streamed down her cheeks. The crystal gems fell to the floor in droves. "I can't do anything else to help... It's all up to her now, and if she had been completely healthy, she would only have barely made it, but with these wounds..." She did not need to continue. They knew. She would not survive.

Genkai knelt beside Yusuke, gently brushing the white, sweat-soaked and blood stained hair off of her pale, clammy face. "An energy transfusion...?"

Yukina shook her head. "It would only make it worse. This poison was designed to aid Yusuke's system in small doses; any other energy used to heal her body would cause it to tear her body apart. I was only holding the poison away from her heart, but that is a delicate art and expended most of my energy..." She shook her head. "I was only using the ice to slow the blood flow, and Touya can't do that, at least not within a body this strained and devoid of energy... She barely has any life force left... It's a miracle that she is still breathing, much less that she is still alive."

They turned when they heard Jin slump to the floor, eyes staring straight ahead, in shock. "Nothing can be done...?" Touya asked, his face trying in vain to remain impassive.

"Nothing, besides what Yusuke can do herself..."

"Which is nothing." Remarked Karasu apathetically.

"Hn." Toguro glared at him before kneeling beside Genkai.

Rinku, who had arrived just in time to hear most of this, sat on Yusuke's other side, watching his sister's face contort in pain, the uneven rise and fall of her chest. She was gasping for breath, and was struggling to inhale and exhale, she was probably struggling just to keep conscious.

"Nee-san..."

A golden eye glanced at him. "I... am not dead... yet..." Yusuke barely managed to gasp. She half laughed, half coughed, blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"Yet." Karasu affirmed.

Yusuke glared at him as best as she could, which was rather hindered by the fact that she barely had the energy to rearrange her facial features. "Do... you need... to sound... so... optimistic...?"

Suzaku laughed, despite the severity of the situation.

Jin came out of his daze at the sound and looked at Yusuke. Her eyes met his. "I... need to get to... some place open..." He didn't argue. Lifting her, despite his own soreness, he carried her out into the garden before setting her back down on one of the many grassy spots.

"Thank you..." She managed to whisper.

His only reply was a brief, chaste kiss on her lips.

Rinku's POV

Rinku followed them out, while the others remained inside, obviously wishing to give the two some time alone. But... if his nee-san was going to die... He wanted to be there. When he found them, Jin was leaning against one of the trees, Yusuke leaning against them, her breathing labored, blood staining the grass around them.

Yusuke looked up as he approached and smiled weakly. Looking towards the setting sun, she then glanced up at the sky.

"Is there anything you can do to..." Save yourself... He couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Yeah..."

His aquamarine eyes shot up, surprised.

She grinned, then grimaced. "I can't guarantee it'll work, but... he's almost here."

"'He's'...?"

A loud cry sounded from overhead, Rinku stared up in awe as a blue phoenix glided down towards them and landed. He froze, those wounds... How did he manage to fly...?

"Sorry about that..." Yusuke, surprising Jin and Rinku, stood. Her amber eyes met red ones. "Will you help...?"

Yusuke's POV

Puu knew what I was thinking, he (she? I still don't know what gender the blasted bird is, but I'm going with it's a he) is, after all, me. His vermilion eyes met mine for a moment, before spreading his wings, charging straight towards me. I closed my eyes and braced myself as Puu turned himself into pure, unfiltered energy. My energy. I bit back a scream as it surrounded me. I felt the energy seeping into my skin as I lost consciousness.

Boy's POV

They covered their eyes when the bright blue light surround Yusuke, pulsing like it had a heart beat. After what seemed to be an eternity, it pulsated one last time and faded, completely absorbed into Yusuke's levitated body. She was out cold, hovering a few feet above the ground. They couldn't help but stare in shock. She had reverted back to a half-demon form, but... Jin blinked. She had wings...?

Blue wings, not unlike those of the phoenix's, were gracefully arched behind her back. Her clothing had also changed. Instead of the assassin's garb she had worn to fight the Anima, she wore something similar to an ancient Chinese style. Loose dark blue silk pants were tucked into black, leather-ish looking boots that went all the way up to her knees. A lighter blue tunic was slack around her body, with two slits in the back for her wings. A black sash tied it around her waist. The only thing that remained of her assassin's uniform was her belt, hanging at an angle at her hip. All this was partially covered by a deep, dark velvet blue cloak.

Even her hair had changed, it was partially the same length she had it while human which was to her waist, but less tame, and half of the strands went as far as her ankles, as far as her ankles.

Slowly, she descended back to the ground; her eyes opening only after her feet touched the earth.

Yusuke's POV

I felt Puu's energy quickly absorbed into my failing body. The poison slowly dissipated as energy began to overflow my current reserves. I felt a sharp pain just behind my shoulder blades. But barely a second later, it was gone. The rough cloth of the assassin's armor suddenly faded and was replaced by a soft; silky feeling cloth, but it definitely was as strong as the armor that had just vanished. And indefinitely much more comfortable. Though one did get used to the coarseness of the material after wearing it for a few years...

I glanced up and smiled slightly. I guess it worked. "Like the new look?" I asked, letting my smile turn into a full-fledged grin.

"How...?" Rinku whispered.

I smiled and stretched, letting my wings extend. Funny, feels like I had always had them... "My Spirit Beast."

Rinku laughed. "That definitely would use you're own energy..."

Jin stepped forward and glared. "Wha' if tha' hadn't worked?"

I shrugged. "We had nothing to lose, had I died, so would've Puu." I really need to get him a better name... "Besides, I knew this way I would be able to get out of being in heat."

"True." Rinku remarked.

"Don' ya ever do tha' again!" Jin looked at me pleadingly. "I don' wanna lose ya, Yusuke!"

Did he mean use an attack that could easily rip me apart from the inside out, or poison myself...? "I won't if I can help it... But you didn't answer my question." I grinned. "So, really, what do you think?" I asked, spreading my arms out.

Rinku grinned. "Nice."

Jin cocked his head to the side and nodded thoughtfully.

"Well." I finished stretching. "We better head back in before the others think I've died."

"Shishi will be so heartbroken!" Rinku snickered.

Chuckling, I ruffled his hair fondly. "That he will be."

I don't know if this would really happen in the YYH universe, but Puu is constantly being emphasized as Yusuke's inner self, in essence, he is Yusuke. So I thought, "hey, this might work". What do you think?

And toushin loosely means sword blade. Thank you Baka Hanyou Rahvin for the correction!


	45. Yurei Hokokusho Announcement

I am so sorry! I haven't been able to write in ages, and if you want my excuses, check my profile. But Yurei Hokokusho is going to be on hiatus at least until summer, probably around early-mid June. I am sorry it took me so long to post this message! Sorry!


	46. Poll

Poll:

Despite what Yusuke thinks, she isn't exactly "out of the heat" yet, and I was wondering what you all would prefer:

A.) Jin helping her

B.) Yusuke isolating herself and dealing with it

C.) Somehow meeting up with Kurama and/or Hiei (personally, I really don't want to do this one, because Yusuke wouldn't be able to get out of the palace after the stunt she pulled, and it would be a pain to explain how they got into Tneisha with all the heightened security with the assassins, etc. but it still an option, though it would be impossible for them to do so...)

D.) Someone else helping her (who? I have no clue. I'm asking those who chose this.)

E.) Other. If there's any that are good, I'll edit the poll or take the top two and use them for 47 and then when I finally get back to writing, replace all three chapters and add another one a day or so later so you all can catch up.

Thank you!


End file.
